NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Shaun Woodward: I will publish in due course a list providing information relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in this Department in the 2007-08 financial year.

Departmental Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in his Department and its Executive agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: For the most recent information available, I refer the hon. Member to the NIO Resource Accounts, a copy of which can be found at:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/nio_resource_accounts_2006_-_2007.pdf

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 930W, on departmental public participation, how much each  (a) survey,  (b) questionnaire and  (c) other service cost; and how many participants there were in each.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Survey by  Cost ( inclusive of VAT )  Number of participants 
			 Millward Brown Ulster £21,385.00 1,422 
			
			 NI Statistics and Research Agency Survey 1: £338,398.83 (1)4,000 
			  Survey 2: £42,424.84 (total of three modules) (2)1,238 
			  Module 1: £15,510.00  
			  Module2: £15,752.34  
			  Module 3: £11,162.50  
			
			 SMR (Social and Market Research) No breakdown available to show the cost of the survey and focus groups. The total cost which included an evaluation exercise was £29,345.63. This cost was split between three partners, making the NIO contribution £9,781.88 Survey: 769 
			   Nine Focus Groups: 57 
			 (1) The figure of 4,000 participants refers to the target number of participants as the final number of achieved interviews is not yet known. (2) As the three modules were part of the one survey, each had the same number of participants.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Shaun Woodward: During 2007-08, the following amounts were spent by the Northern Ireland Office, its Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on translation and interpretation services, broken down by language.
	
		
			  Language  Cost (£) 
			 Sign Language 20,066.35 
			 French 21,592.38 
			 Polish 263,900.45 
			 Cantonese 14,739.32 
			 Portuguese 63,045.53 
			 Lithuanian 238,146.92 
			 Slovakian 43,615.12 
			 Latvian 34,139.36 
			 Braille 380.94 
			 Irish 1,341.58 
			 Mandarin 50,381.39 
			 Ulster Scots 432.74 
			 Cypriot 1,956.39 
			 Czech 11,437.05 
			 Flemish 583.72 
			 German 9,459.61 
			 Romanian 45,207.86 
			 Spanish 16,141.22 
			 Swedish 1,185.25 
			 Thai 3,023.72 
			 Turkish 4,223.32 
			 Bengali 7,694.36 
			 Chinese 69.00 
			 Farsi 1,265.02 
			 Greek 16.50 
			 Hindi 776.82 
			 Hungarian 19,347.49 
			 Russian 86,380.86 
			 Ukrainian 514.96 
			 Vietnamese 366.00 
			 Arabic 15,707.17 
			 Estonian 816.61 
			 Bulgarian 5,864.89 
			 Bengali 3,643.28 
			 Tetum 4,344.54 
			 Urdu 1,940.96 
			 Italian 1,858.17 
			 Georgian 1,064.66 
			 Albanian 2,251.17 
			 Tagalog 876.21 
			 Dutch 354.45 
			 Serbian 184.50 
			 Punjabi 184.28 
			 Malayalam 1,658.88 
			 Afghan Pashto 254.30 
			 Telephone Interpreting for Police Service NI (45 various languages, mainly ethnic minority) 64,919.00 
			 Police Service NI, Translations (breakdown of various languages not available) 177,619.00 
			 Others (mainly ethnic minority) 2,252.75 
			 Total 1,247,226.05

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what  (a) surveys,  (b) questionnaires and  (c) other services were provided by polling companies for the Government Equalities Office in financial year 2007-08, broken down by company.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office has not directly commissioned any polling companies to provide surveys, questionnaires and other services during the financial year 2007-08 but has worked with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the Citizenship Survey; worked with the Office for Disability Issues on the ONS Omnibus Survey and part-funded research into the public sector duties carried out by Schneider Ross.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will break down the most recent number of apprenticeships by  (a) region,  (b) industrial sector,  (c) sex and  (d) whether or not the apprenticeships were at advanced level in each case.

David Lammy: The information requested is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government Changes in June 2007.
	The Government skills strategy "Building Professional Skills for Government" was launched in April this year. This includes a commitment to establish 500 additional Pathfinder apprenticeships from September 2008. Neither the Department nor its agencies have such apprenticeship arrangements in place yet. Government Skills are leading on implementation and plan to launch the Pathfinder apprenticeships over the summer.

Apprentices: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were  (a) started and  (b) completed in Vale of York constituency in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: Information is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Information for North Yorkshire and York is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority( 1)  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Apprenticeship starts for the last three years
			 North Yorkshire(2) 4,469 3,489 3,228 
			 York 772 586 649 
			 
			 Apprenticeship completions for 2003-04 to 2005-06
			 North Yorkshire(2) 1,368 1,543 2,171 
			 York 153 226 343 
			 (1) Indicates a local authority that has more than 10 per cent. of apprentices funded by the MOD. (2) Data given allocate apprentices by their home postcode, where a learner is engaged in residential learning for the MOD they are allocated the LA of where they are based.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on how many occasions he visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

John Denham: Since the creation of the Department in June 2007, I have not visited Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland in an official capacity.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department since its establishment.

David Lammy: 27 statutory instruments, general and local, have been made and 34 revoked by Ministers of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills since its establishment on 28 June 2007.

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 809W, on departmental public participation, what the  (a) cost,  (b) subject and  (c) number of respondents was for each (i) survey, (ii) questionnaire and (iii) other service.

David Lammy: The following table states the following  (a) cost,  (b) subject and  (c) number of respondents; for each of the services provided by the companies.
	
		
			  Service provided  Name of company  Method  Number of respondents  Total cost (£) 
			 Student finance messaging research Define Research and Insight Ltd Qualitative interview—groups 128 57,595.00 
			 Student finance creative research Define Research and Insight Ltd Qualitative interview—groups 104 41,780.00 
			 Student finance tracking research Continental Research Quantitative—face-to-face interview 2,040 111,787.50 
			 Student finance—insights Define Research and Insight Ltd Qualitative interview—groups and depths interview 36 18,800.00 
			 HSE student support England 2007-08 Jigsaw Research Ltd Quantitative—face-to-face interview 784 57,000.00 
			 Student finance—DVD research Continental Research Quantitative—telephone survey 200 12,500.00 
			 Define messages for parents on student finance Seventy 2 Point Qualitative—survey 770 2,200

Higher Education: Business

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (b) the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship on a national network of university enterprise clusters.

Bill Rammell: In line with its strategies for enterprise, innovation, and high level skills, Government announced an additional £300,000 per annum of funding for the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) for it to establish university enterprise networks. Ministers in this Department and that of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have asked officials to ensure that NCGE bring forward robust plans to develop and manage networks of higher education institutions which will encourage widespread adoption of best practice in enterprise education.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether he has plans to exempt those undertaking a Masters level course in Teaching and Learning from the policy of not funding students on courses that lead to qualifications equivalent to or lower than they already hold.

Bill Rammell: Students who already hold one Masters level qualification and want to study another higher education qualification at an equivalent or lower level will not be exempt from the general ELQ policy. They will only attract institutional funding if the course relates to the initial training of teachers or is co-funded by employers. But because the policy is a redistribution of funding and not a withdrawal, it will allow more students than would be possible under the current system to progress from an undergraduate level qualification to a Masters level course in Teaching and Learning.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he plans to answer the letter of 7 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton, with regard to Dr. J. Byrne.

David Lammy: I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 7 May 2008.

Science: Voluntary Organisations

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with which third sector organisations his Department is working as a strategic partner on projects relating to science and innovation.

Ian Pearson: DIUS is working with a number of strategic partners from the third sector on projects related to science and innovation including the Association of Medical Research Charities, the Leverhulme Trust, the Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the British Academy, the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET, STEMNET, The British Association for the Advancement of Science, Ecsite-uk, the Gatsby Foundation, Demos and the Foundation for Science and Technology .

Students: Fees and Charges

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of equalising the tuition fee arrangements of part-time first-degree students with those of full-time first-degree students; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There are around 200,000 part-time first degree undergraduates compared to around one million full-time. To estimate the cost to the public purse of giving part-time students the same tuition fee arrangements is complicated due to their diverse nature. We can give very broad estimates based on the assumptions we hold for full-time students and replicating the exact same package of support. This enables us to estimate the resource cost of fee loans in the region of £150 million per year if all part-time students had fees of £3,000 per year; and £75 million if we assume they are studying at 50 per cent. intensity and are charged fees of £1,500 per year.
	These estimates assume that part-time students are identical to full-time students in every respect except they are part-time. They are highly dependent on uncertain factors such as eligibility for and take-up of support, level of fees charged and earnings following completion of the course, all of which have been assumed the same as for full-time students.
	This Government was the first to introduce statutory support for part-time students, in 2000/01. In 2006/07, we introduced the most generous package of financial support ever for part-time students in England. This included increasing the maximum fee grant by 27 per cent. and an above-inflation increase in the income threshold for receiving this support. The part-time package is different from the support available to full-time students because it has been designed to meet the particular needs of part-time students. Unlike full-time students, many part-time students are in full-time employment—two thirds according to the Woodley report, published at the end of 2004. That report also found that 36 per cent. of part-time students receive full fee support from their employer. We must ensure that statutory student support is carefully focussed to achieve maximum benefit.

Training: Finance

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to require employers which recruit immigrant labour to fund training and skills programmes for British workers.

David Lammy: We have no current plans to require employers to fund skills training for British workers. However, as announced by the Prime Minister, we will be consulting on a new right to request time to train. The new right would require employers to consider seriously requests from employees for time away from their mainstream duties to undertake relevant training. From this autumn employers will need to prove that they cannot fill skilled vacancies with resident labour or that they are recruiting into recognised skill shortage areas before employing skilled migrant labour. Employers, individuals and the Government must all improve their efforts and investment if we are to deliver our ambition of a world class skills base. Train to Gain has engaged almost 83,000 employers with more then 390,000 workers starting learning programmes. We have ambitious plans to expand Train to Gain with increased funding from around £520 million this year to over £1 billion in 2010.

Vocational Training

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what role the  (a) Skills Funding Agency and  (b) Young People's Learning Agency will play in local authority involvement in skills training.

David Lammy: The White Paper 'Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver' published March 2008 sets out plans to respond to the education and skills challenges for young people and adults. It outlines the roles of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA).
	The SFA will be responsible for the demand-led services for adults and employers incorporating Train to Gain and skills accounts. It will underpin a new Adult Advancement and Careers Agency, the National Employer Service and the National Apprenticeship Service. The SFA will have a national and regional presence as well as having a role sub-regionally, working with local authorities and other partners to support local area agreements (LAAs) and Employment and Skills boards.
	The YPLA will be responsible for supporting local authorities in discharging their new strategic commissioning role for 16 to 18 education and training. We anticipate that the YPLA will be established as a non-departmental public body (NDPB) and that its governance will include representatives of the key delivery partners, including local authorities. Its primary role will be to moderate the commissioning plans of local authorities for the purpose of budgetary control and ensuring that the new curriculum entitlement is delivered across every area of the country. Similar to the SFA, the YPLA will have both a national and regional presence.
	Further details of the roles of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) are set out in the White Paper. The consultation period for the White Paper ends on 9 June 2008 and we are currently running consultation events in each region with a range of stakeholders including local authorities.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Cadets: Armed Forces

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his proposals for cadet forces will involve changes in the level of funding for existing combined cadet forces (CCF) units in schools; what estimate he has made of CCF funding per CCF member in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2000,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
	Cadet Forces, where affiliated to the MOD, are wholly funded by a combination of MOD resources and charitable funding raised by the Cadet Forces' own endeavours. The present funding for the current MOD affiliated membership will not be affected by any initiative from the Department for Children, Schools and Families. CCF funding per CCF member is summarised in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of CCF Cadets  Funding per Cadet (£) 
			 2000 40,551 328 
			 2007 42,593 312 
			  Note: The change in funding is as the result of efficiency gains over the past three years such as improved property management. 
		
	
	The number of CCF members in 1997 is not known. Funding for 2010 is not yet allocated, nor has the number of likely Cadets been estimated.
	Our aspiration, shared by our colleagues in the DCSF, is to increase the opportunity for as many young people as possible, from all backgrounds, to experience the benefits of the Cadet experience.

Children's Centres

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Sure Start children's centres were open on  (a) 31 March and  (b) the latest date for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: On 31 March 2008 there were 2,906 Sure Start children's centres. As of 21 May there are 2,907 designated centres. Local authorities are currently planning the final phase of the delivery of children's centres so that by 2010 there will be 3,500 centres, one for every community.

Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on how many occasions he has visited Essex in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families have visited Essex three times since June 2007. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will reply to Question 200528 on school cadet forces, tabled on 18 April 2008 by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 7 May, 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the hon. Member today.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether it is the Commission's policy to release the home addresses of  (a) senior and  (b) middle-ranking officials of the House of Commons, if requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what the Commission's assessment is of the implications for personal security resulting from the release of such data.

Nick Harvey: The terms of Freedom of Information Act 2000 require that each request for information held by the House of Commons is treated on its merits. The implications referred to would depend on the scope of any such request.

Parliament: Waste Management

Justine Greening: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much waste was  (a) produced  (b) recycled and  (c) incinerated by the Parliamentary Estate in each year from 2002 to 2007.

Nick Harvey: The quantities of waste  (a) produced,  (b) recycled and  (c) incinerated by the parliamentary estate in each financial year from 2002 to 2008 are given as follows:
	
		
			  Waste 
			  T onnes 
			   (a) Produced  (b) Recycled  (c) Incinerated 
			 2002-03 2,767 699 2,068 
			 2003-04 2,319 608 1,711 
			 2004-05 1,916 561 1,355 
			 2005-06 2,101 801 1,300 
			 2006-07 2,035 862 1,173 
			 2007-08 1,989 954 1,035 
		
	
	In the previous answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather) on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1642W, a figure of 2,252 tonnes was given for the total waste produced in the 2005-06 financial year. This total included waste deposited in builders' skips; all the other years' figures excluded this waste stream and the 2005-06 totals have been amended to ensure a consistent approach.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for the Olympics 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of jobs relating to the 2012 Olympic games which will go to women;
	(2)  what steps her Department has taken to increase the proportion of women employed in jobs relating to the 2012 Olympic games.

Tessa Jowell: As of May 2008 the percentage of women working for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), or their contractors, was 11.9 per cent. This figure includes all women involved in construction, management, administration, professional, consultant and design and also incorporates the small number of venues outside the Olympic Park. Going forward, the ODA in conjunction with the London Development Agency is establishing a "Women into Construction" project that will focus on supporting women working directly on the construction programme for the 2012 games.
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has a strong diversity and inclusion policy for the recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers that covers gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion and age. This will be regularly monitored for its effectiveness, and builds on the prominence of diversity and equality as key components of London's bid for the games.
	Five of the 11 members of LOCOG's Management Committee as published on its website are women.
	LOCOG also requests equal opportunities policies from potential suppliers, which are also a requirement of CompeteFor (the online brokerage service by which companies register for contracts connected to the games).
	As of May 2008 the percentage of women employed in the Government Olympic Executive is 37.5 per cent.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government plans to increase troop numbers in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: We keep the size and scale of the UK military commitment to Afghanistan under regular review and will make further adjustments where necessary, as we have in the past.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual  (a) capital and  (b) running cost of a regional rehabilitation unit has been in the last three years.

Derek Twigg: The MOD has 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRUs) in the UK and Germany. Responsibility for their individual management is shared between the single Service commands, with oversight from the Joint Medical Command. However, each Service funds its respective RRUs differently, with funding provision coming from a variety of areas, which are not uniquely identifiable, before being subsumed within the overall establishment or Station budget.
	RRUs are not always located within discrete sole-use buildings and the average capital costs could therefore only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
	The average annual staffing costs of a typical RRU is £477,600.
	On average, each of the RRUs will spend approximately £10,000 per annum replacing and servicing equipment.

Defence: Procurement

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding was allocated to the armed forces for expenditure on equipment in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Outturn expenditure on the procurement of equipment (including both military and non-military equipment used by Service and civilian personnel) from 1997-98 has been published annually in UK Defence Statistics (UKDS) by the Defence Analytical Services Agency. UKDS can be found at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	and are available in the Library of the House.
	However, data are not consistent across this period because of internal changes in responsibility for Defence equipment procurement and the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB). Figures were produced on a cash basis until 2000-01. Full implementation of these accounting changes meant it was not possible to produce figures for the period 2001-02 to 2002-03 that were consistent for these years since the full adoption of RAB across the Department was not completed until 2003-04. A new data series using full RAB accounting has been produced annually since 2003-04. Outturn figures for 2007-08 will be published in UKDS 2008 later in the year.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any officials in his Department were disciplined or dismissed for  (a) breaches of data protection requirements and  (b) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Eco-Towns: Land

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 837-38W, on eco-towns, 
	(1)  in which of the shortlisted sites his Department has sold or otherwise disposed of land in the last 10 years under arrangements whereby his Department would benefit from a future sale of the land;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the sale price  (a) before and  (b) after shortlisting of (i) the sites owned by his Department and (ii) sites sold by his Department in the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence would benefit from a further sale of land at the following locations sold within the last 10 years: RE Long Marston Depot, RAF Coltishall and Bordon-Whitehill.
	There are far too many variables at this early stage in the consultation process and we have therefore not made estimates of the value of sites before or after shortlisting.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis service personnel qualify for  (a) an Iraq Medal and  (b) bars to the Iraq Medal; what changes have been made to this procedure since the conflict began; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The qualification criteria for the Iraq Medal and clasp are published in Command Paper 6135 presented to Parliament in February 2004 and subsequently amended by Command Paper 6936 dated October 2006, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House. On 5 December 2007 Her Majesty the Queen approved a further amendment to the criteria for all current operational medals to include those whose qualifying service is prematurely curtailed by imprisonment, detention or internment.

Members: Correspondence

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to write to those hon. Members who raised issues but did not receive a response from the Minister for the Armed Forces during the debate on defence in the world on 8 May 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: As is usual following Defence debates in the House, responses will be sent by myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to a number of hon. and right hon. Members—including the hon. Member—on issues which, due to time constraints, I was unable to address fully in my closing speech. Copies of these letters will also be placed in the Library of the House.

Navy: Piracy

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 840W, on the Navy: piracy, whether pirates arrested at sea by the Royal Navy are  (a) taken on board Her Majesty's ships and  (b) rendered to UK jurisdiction; and what discussions his Department has had with officials in the Home Department on the potential for such pirates to claim asylum in the United Kingdom.

Bob Ainsworth: Our records suggest that no pirates have been arrested by the Royal Navy since the Second World War. If a pirate were to be arrested, they would remain in UK custody until such time as they were either lawfully transferred to another nation or returned to the UK criminal justice system.
	MOD officials regularly liaise across Whitehall on issues relating to operations, including on piracy.

First World War: Anniversaries

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what national plans there are to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the First World War armistice in 2008.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made today.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Culture Leadership Programme

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) placements,  (b) courses,  (c) coaching opportunities and  (d) mentoring opportunities have been organised by the Cultural Leadership Programme; and how many people have taken part in each of these types of activity.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 16 May 2008
	An evaluation of the Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP) is currently under way. The CLP is in the process of collating output data from partner organisations and institutions and therefore the full impact of the programme is not available yet. The Department expects to receive the evaluation in early autumn 2008.

Gambling: Internet

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has made to the United States administration on the effect of US law on UK business interests in the United States, with particular reference to  (a) online gambling companies and  (b) companies providing financial services to the online gambling sector.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The UK maintains a constructive relationship with the US Administration in relation to a wide variety of subjects within the broad spectrum of trade issues, including those relating to gambling.
	Officials have raised the concerns of the gambling industry with the relevant US authorities, and will continue to do so when appropriate opportunities present themselves.

PRIME MINISTER

Airports

Justine Greening: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his statement on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1392, on the draft legislative programme, to which decisions on airports he was referring.

Gordon Brown: The Government's policy on aviation is set out in 'The Future of Air Transport' White Paper (CM 6046), December 2003; 'The Future of Air Transport Progress Report' (CM 6977), December 2006; and the consultation on Heathrow Airport—'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport', November 2007.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Landfill

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of using incineration to reduce use of landfill; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Recovering energy from waste (including via incineration) can offer a considerable climate change benefit compared to the alternative of landfill. This is primarily through avoided landfill methane emissions, with energy generated from the biodegradable fraction of waste also offsetting fossil fuel power generation.
	While incineration is preferable to landfill, this should not displace waste from management further up the hierarchy (e.g. minimisation, reuse, recycling/composting).

Meat: Smuggling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to prevent the importing of bush meat.

Joan Ruddock: While there is no precise definition for bush meat, it is generally understood to mean the meat of wild animals hunted for food, derived mainly from Central and West African countries.
	Where the animals that have been hunted are rare or endangered they may be listed and their international trade controlled on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement signed by 172 countries including the UK, which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
	In a recent study commissioned jointly by DEFRA and HMRC, of 230 samples DMA tested just five were found to be from CITES listed species. The summary report is available on the DEFRA website.
	Additionally, while bush meat is not thought to be a significant risk to animal health in the UK as it does not enter the animal food-chain, HMRC has powers to deal with animal products that are imported outside the veterinary checks regime under the Products Of Animal Origin (POAO) Regulations. This function is carried out at the border by HMRC's delivery partner the UK Border Agency.
	The UK Border Agency's strategy is to deter and detect illegal imports of POAO from entering Great Britain (responsibility for Northern Ireland is with DARDNI). Frontline multifunctional officers are trained to tackle a range of high risk goods at the border, including POAO. There are also a number of detector dogs based around GB who are trained to detect POAO. Traffic is targeted from high risk countries based on risk assessment and intelligence.
	DEFRA and HMRC have undertaken a number of publicity and awareness raising initiatives to inform travellers and the UK public of the regulations.

Ozone Layer: EU Law

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of non-implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 in so far as it relates to building foam.

Phil Woolas: The use of ozone-depleting substances in building insulation foams has been banned in the EU since the beginning of 2004. Most of these foams are currently still in buildings but it will be important to prepare for the time when large scale volumes of these insulation foams need to be disposed of where practicable.
	DEFRA has initiated discussions with building industry stakeholders about current infrastructure available for dealing with demolition waste and the technical and economic issues that arise.

Sewers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to complete the consultation on the transfer of private sewers to sewerage undertakers; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government announced in February 2007 their decision to transfer private sewers and lateral drains draining to the public sewerage system into water company ownership. We subsequently published a public consultation in July 2007 on implementation options for the proposed transfer. The consultation also posed questions on the scope of assets to be included in the transfer and ways in which the creation of new private sewers can be prevented.
	A summary of responses was published in March 2008 and we are currently considering in detail the issues raised with the help of a steering group of key stakeholders. The work of the steering group will inform the decision on the timing of transfer and we expect to complete this by the summer.

Waste Management: Licensing

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which golf courses have been granted paragraph 19A exemptions from waste management licensing.

Joan Ruddock: It has not been possible to indicate which paragraph 19 exemptions are for golf course developments. Identifying the exemptions relating to golf courses could only be achieved if a significant administrative exercise were to be undertaken by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency currently has over 2,700 registered paragraph 19 exemptions, in addition to over 37,000 such exemptions for agricultural waste, across England and Wales.
	This exemption is provided for the use of waste in 'relevant work', such as in the construction of recreational facilities or highway improvements. At the point of registration there is no requirement to specify what type of facility the waste will be used in.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what percentage of children reached a good level of development by scoring six points on all the assessment scales for personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy scales of the Foundation Stage Profile; and what progress has been made towards meeting this part of his Department's Public Service Agreement target;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's Public Service Agreement for 2005-2008 (Technical Note), page 9, what the agreed Public Service Agreement target is for the proportion of children to reach a good level of development at the end of the Foundation Stage by 2008;
	(3)  what proportion of children have achieved a good level of development by scoring six points on all the assessment scales for personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy scales of the Foundation Stage Profile in  (a) the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged super output areas and  (b) the rest of England in each year since 2003;
	(4)  what progress has been made towards meeting his Department's Public Service Agreement target 2.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Work and Pensions have joint responsibility for this public service agreement target, (which is PSA target 2 for DWP and PSA1 for DCSF). The target, set in 2005, is to improve children's levels of development in the communication language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development scales of the foundation stage profile so that by 2008 53 per cent. of children reach a good level of development and inequalities between the level of development achieved by children in the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged super output areas and the rest of England are reduced by four percentage points from 16 per cent. to 12 per cent. A good level of development is defined as scoring at least six points on all seven of the personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy assessment scales at the end of the foundation stage.
	The foundation stage profile was introduced in the academic year 2002-03 and was expected to take a number of years to bed in. Overall national summary data for FSP was first published in 2003 as 'Experimental Statistics' and in 2004 as 'National Statistics'. However, a background of ongoing improvements to teacher assessment and moderation mean it is difficult to draw meaningful statistical judgments about the progress made, particularly in super output areas, between 2003 and 2004. For this reason information on levels of good development has only been published since 2005. The figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Percentage of all children achieving a good level of development in maintained schools 48 44 45 
			 Percentage of children living in the 70% least deprived super output areas achieving a good level of development in maintained schools 54 50 51 
			 Percentage of children living in the 30% most deprived super output areas achieving a good level of development in maintained schools 37 33 35 
		
	
	Figures for 2005 and 2006 are based on sample data and are subject to sampling error. Figures for the gap between the most disadvantaged areas and the rest include only those children for whom postcode information was available. Improvements to moderation mentioned above have affected the reliability of 2005, 2006 and 2007 data; we expect 2008 results (due to be published in autumn 2008) to form a secure baseline and the PSA targets on early years foundation stage results for 2011 are to improve from this baseline.
	The final figures on the foundation stage profile in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2007 "Foundation Stage Profile 2006/2007: National Results (Final)" on 11 October 2007, a copy of which is available on my Department's website
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000752/index.shtml

Children: Disabled

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children with a disability were categorised as materially deprived in each year since 1997; and what proportion of children in each age group this represented in each such year.

Stephen Timms: Being in material deprivation and low income is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 70 per cent. of contemporary median income and a material deprivation score of greater than 25. Full details of the way scores are constructed are available in the public service agreement document 'Halve the number of children in poverty by 2010-11, on the way to eradicating child poverty by 2020' which can be found at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/B/9/pbr_csr07_psa9.pdf
	The available data are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of children with a disability and material deprivation, UK in households in low income 
			   Million 
			   Number of children 
			 2004-05 0.2 
			 2005-06 0.1 
			  Source: Households Below Average Income , 2004-05 to 2005-06 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Children with a disability in households in low income and material deprivation as a proportion of all children by age band, UK 
			  Percentage 
			   Age 
			  0 to 4 5 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 18 
			 2004-05 1 1 2 1 
			 2005-06 1 1 2 1 
			  Notes: 1. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. 2. A child is defined as anyone aged under 16 or an unmarried 16 to 18-year-old in full-time non-advanced education. 3. Information on households in low income and material deprivation is only available from 2004-05. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. Low income and material deprivation is one of the three indicators for measuring child poverty. The other two measures are absolute low income, which includes households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the median income held constant in real terms from a 1998-99 baseline, and relative low income, which includes households with incomes below 60 per cent. contemporary median income. 6. Children with a disability are children with a long-standing illness, disability or infirmity, and who have a significant difficulty with day-to-day activities. Everyone in this group would meet the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), but these estimates do not reflect the total number of children covered by the DDA as the Family Resources Survey, the source of the HBAI series, does not fully collect this information. 7. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 8. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 9. Small year-on-year movements should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  Source: Households Below Average Income, 2004-05 to 2005-06

Children: Maintenance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when parents who are making child support agency payments calculated under the framework in force prior to March 2003 will have their payments recalculated under the formula which now applies.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown), on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 226W.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Anne McGuire: We will publish, in due course, an annual list relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions during the course of the previous financial year.

Disabled

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with a  (a) disability and  (b) learning disability are employed by his Department.

Stephen Timms: The latest figures based on the position at 31 March 2008 are that 5,982 staff across the Department have declared that they are disabled. The figures are based on the numbers of staff who have voluntarily declared themselves as being disabled. However, we are aware that not all disabled staff declare their disability for departmental records, and the true figure may be higher than the figures shown. For example, the 2008 DWP Staff Survey (which is completed anonymously), showed that 9,977 of respondents considered themselves to have a long standing health condition or disability.
	The Department does not collect data on the number of people with a learning disability it employs, and to provide information on this could only be at a disproportionate cost. Staff are encouraged to declare whether they consider themselves disabled, but are not asked to state the nature of the disability.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of the Health and Safety Executive's retention and recruitment plans covering policy capacity when it moves to a single headquarters.

Anne McGuire: Through recruitment of new staff to the single headquarters in Bootle, retention of key London staff through the transition period, flexibility to adapt the pace of change to any emerging pressures and continual senior management oversight, HSE will continue to maintain business continuity and deliver the major benefits that the single HQ will bring. The HSE chief executive regularly reports on progress to the HSE board and this information is available on the HSE website.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff at the Health and Safety Executive office at Rose Court, London have expressed a firm interest in relocating to a single headquarters in Bootle.

Anne McGuire: 10 members of staff initially expressed an interest in relocating to Bootle. A firmer number will be available in the summer after the final preference exercise has been conducted.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an equality impact assessment was carried out prior to the Health and Safety Executive's proposal to move to a single headquarters.

Anne McGuire: An equality impact assessment was carried out as part of the business case developed for the proposal to move to a single headquarters.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the changes in the number of posts which will result from the Health and Safety Executive's establishment of a single headquarters.

Anne McGuire: We do not envisage the move to a single headquarters in Bootle resulting in any reduction in the overall total of HSE posts. We shall however be filling posts in Bootle on the basis of establishing initially a sufficient number of qualified staff to undertake core and essential work rather than seeking immediately to fill every potentially vacant post. This will allow us to staff up more effectively the requirements of the new health and safety strategy as progressively become clear.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide hon. Members with the telephone number for the out-of-hours service operated by Jobcentre Plus on behalf of his Department.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 22 May 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will provide hon. Members with the telephone number for the Out Of Hours Service operated by Jobcentre Plus on behalf of his Department. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Out Of Hours Service telephone numbers are already made available to "referring agencies" such as social services and the police. If any hon. Members themselves offer out of hours access in their surgeries over the weekend and wish to become known as a referring agency then we are happy to make local arrangements for access to the out of hours service telephone number.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a person with  (a) a mental health condition and  (b) a drug or alcohol addiction claiming jobseekers allowance has access to (i) the Pathways to Work scheme and (ii) condition management programmes through the Pathways to Work scheme.

Stephen Timms: Pathways to Work is specifically designed to encourage recipients of incapacity benefits to consider opportunities for starting or returning to work. Jobseeker's allowance customers are, therefore, not eligible for Pathways to Work.
	Instead, jobseeker's allowance and other benefit customers with drug-related problems have access to the voluntary Progress2Work programme. Progress2Work provides, through specialist contractors, additional help for customers disadvantaged by their drug misuse. These specialists aim to support customers through provision, training and employment.
	Under the flexible new deal, beginning in October 2009, service providers can decide to offer condition management programmes as part of the tailored back-to-work action plans drawn up for longer-term jobseeker's allowance customers. Customers with a history of drug and alcohol misuse can currently also volunteer for early access to the New Deal Gateway and this arrangement will continue under the flexible new deal.

Personal Accounts Delivery Authority: Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the  (a) budgeted and  (b) current projected (i) running and (ii) set up costs of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority are in its first year of operation;
	(2)  how much has been spent on establishing and running the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority;
	(3)  whether he expects the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority to meet its objectives without exceeding its budget;
	(4)  what the  (a) original budget,  (b) current projected cost and  (c) cost to date of setting up personal accounts is.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the report from the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority, a report on the Personal Accounts delivery authority's plan for delivery . I am placing a copy of the report in the House Library

Social Security Benefits: Sanctions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish the Jobcentre Plus review of the sanctions regime for benefit claimants announced on 20 February.

Stephen Timms: We will publish the conclusions from the review as part of the Government's proposal for the next stage of welfare reform.

JUSTICE

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: Six members of staff employed within the Ministry of Justice undertook apprenticeships during the financial year 2007-08.
	The Ministry of Justice is participating in the Apprenticeships Pathfinder being organised by Government Skills, with an intake likely in September. Numbers are likely to be substantially larger than in previous years. We are also participating in the Civil Service West Midlands Apprenticeships pilot.

Departmental Manpower

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) UK citizens born in the UK,  (b) UK citizens born abroad and  (c) foreign nationals were employed as staff by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Information on the nationality of public sector staff within the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is not held centrally. This could be collected only at disproportionate cost. Information on nationality is included on an individual's application form, which he/she completes at the start of the recruitment process. This is to ensure that the applicant meets nationality requirements under the civil service recruitment code for employment within MOJ.

Legal Services Commission: Complaints

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when complaints procedures were first introduced by the Legal Services Commission; and what the terms of those procedures were;
	(2)  what changes have been made to the complaints procedures of the Legal Services Commission since they were first introduced; and what the reasons were for such changes;
	(3)  what the complaints procedures of the Legal Services Commission are;
	(4)  what training and guidance has been provided to the Regional and acting Regional Directors of the Legal Services Commission on the terms of the Legal Services Commission complaints procedures; when it was provided to them; and how it was provided;
	(5)  what training and guidance has been provided to the account managers of the Legal Services Commission on the terms of the Legal Services Commission complaints procedures; when it was provided; and how it was provided.

Bridget Prentice: The LSC's approach to dealing with complaints is part of its overall focus on customer services. It strives to maintain the highest standards of customer service and effective complaint handling. Success at this is measured through a customer services score target. The LSC expects to have achieved its customer services score target of 90 per cent. for 2007-08.
	When the Legal Services Commission was established in 1999, it inherited its complaints procedure from the Legal Aid Board (the body previously responsible for administering legal aid).
	The LSC improved its complaints handling procedures following a review in February 2004. The complaints review team developed a new definition of a complaint and added a second tier review system to ensure consistency across the LSC. The new procedure was introduced in April 2004.
	Details of the LSC's complaints procedure can be found on the Commission's website at:
	http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/docs/cls_main/How_to_ Complain_to_the_Legal_Services_Commission_May_07.pdf
	In terms of training, when the LSC's new complaints procedure was launched in April 2004, all staff were notified of the changes and given access to the relevant guidance and policy documents on the intranet.
	Once the new procedure was in place, specific training was provided on a local basis to complaint handlers who are nominated to co-ordinate responses, offer guidance to colleagues and maintain quality and consistency.
	Account managers may be involved in drafting responses to complaints from providers. Regional directors deal with complaints only in exceptional circumstances.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 25 March 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Miss A. S. Galtrey.

David Hanson: My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Children and Youth Justice (Beverley Hughes), and I replied jointly to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 19 May 2008. We apologise for the delay.

Offenders: Electronic Tagging

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what sentencing guidelines are given to courts on the use of electronic tagging orders combined with curfews and the circumstances in which such a sentence would be appropriate;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued on using a combination of curfews and electronic tagging in sentencing; and under what circumstances his Department considers such sentencing appropriate.

David Hanson: Curfew may be imposed under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 as a requirement of a community order or of a suspended sentence order for offences committed on or after 4 April 2005. The Act requires that such a requirement must be electronically monitored unless this is not possible or it is judged inappropriate in a particular case.
	The independent Sentencing Guidelines Council issued guidance to the courts on 2003 Act sentences in December 2004. The guidelines give examples of where curfew might be appropriate as part of a community order for offences in the low, medium and high seriousness ranges. They also say that electronic monitoring should be used with the primary purpose of promoting and monitoring compliance with other requirements, in circumstances where the punishment of the offender and/or the need to safeguard the public and prevent re-offending are the most important concerns.
	The court may obtain and consider a pre-sentence report prepared by the National Probation Service (NPS) before sentencing. Comprehensive departmental guidance to the NPS on 2003 Act sentences was issued in 2005, explaining how curfew and electronic monitoring might be used. Other departmental guidance on specific aspects of sentencing, which may include references to curfew and electronic monitoring, is issued as necessary.

Open Prisons: Prisoners Release

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in open jails in England and Wales had been deemed not suitable for release on temporary licence at the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell), on 7 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2834W.
	Release on temporary licence is the mechanism that enables prisoners to participate in necessary activities, outside of the prison establishment, that directly contribute to their resettlement into the community and their development of a purposeful law abiding life.
	The eligibility requirements are set out in Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence, which is available on the Prison Service website. Eligible prisoners must pass a rigorous risk assessment before temporary release is granted.
	Information on those considered unsuitable for release under temporary licence is not centrally available, would require manual inspection of individual prisoners' records and could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when he will publish a summary of responses to the consultation on the law on damages;
	(2)  when he plans to publish his Department's response to the consultation on the law on damages.

Bridget Prentice: We aim to publish a summary of responses to the consultation paper on the law of damages together with the Government's response to the consultation before the summer recess.

Prison Service: Safety

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place to protect prison staff from assault by prisoners.

David Hanson: Public and private sector prisons are each required to have a local violence reduction strategy, which involves regular analysis of problem areas, consideration of solutions and an action plan to reduce violence. A whole prison approach is encouraged, engaging all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and improving personal safety for all. A good practice toolkit supports the violence reduction strategy and guides establishments to develop practical solutions, including environmental and physical measures as well as alternative ways of managing behaviour.
	Public and private sector prison staff receive the appropriate training to ensure they have required skills and knowledge to deal with potentially violent situations in prisons and protect themselves from assault.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has supported the Prison Officer Association's Zero Tolerance Campaign to ensure prisons are a safer place to live and work.

Prisoners

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in adult prisons had previously been  (a) children in care,  (b) children in foster care and  (c) adopted children in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: In response to part  (a) of the question, I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 391W, to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).
	Information on the total number of prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales who were in local authority care at some point when under the age of 16 is not centrally available.
	However, a Social Exclusion Unit report "Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners" published in 2002 reported that 27 per cent. of the prison population had been taken into care as a child against an average across the general population of 2 per cent.
	In response to parts  (b) and  (c), there is no available information on which to provide an answer.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment since 1997 have been subsequently released and committed further crimes and been re-imprisoned.

Maria Eagle: To provide the information requested would require data matching between different sources of information, and manual checking of individual records which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. Data migration for the Department's new database is currently under way and will be subject to data quality assurance. I hope to write to the hon. Member by the middle of June to provide as much of the information requested as can be obtained reliably from the new database at that time.

Prisoners: Females

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what monitoring is conducted of the care needs of women from Wales who serve custodial sentences in prisons in England after their return to Wales on release.

Maria Eagle: All prisoners who serve 12 months or more are subject to a period of statutory supervision on release. Those sentenced to any period in custody who are under 21 years at the point of release will also be supervised by the probation service on a standard three-month licence.
	In relation to women prisoners returning to Wales, this applies wherever they were imprisoned. Prisoners on licence are seen by the probation service who assess and manage their risk and needs in order to reduce reoffending and this assessment includes any gender issues. Additionally, NOMS Cymru is running the Women's Turnaround Project, a demonstration project for women based in Cardiff. The project is self-referral with services delivered through the third and private sectors and has close links with HMP Eastwood Park and offers an opportunity for women to be supported with their resettlement needs.

Prisoners: Learning Disability

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) special programmes and  (b) specific education provision his Department provides for prisoners with learning disabilities.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The terms 'learning disability' and 'learning difficulty' are most usually used to refer to mental health and education issues respectively. As the question refers specifically to 'education provision', my response sets out what we do to meet the needs of prisoners with learning difficulties.
	There are no special programmes or education provision in place for prisoners with learning difficulties specifically. Instead, as part of the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service, education providers are obliged to assess for and meet the additional learning support needs of offenders with learning difficulties who are engaged in learning and skills programmes available to the prison population more generally.

Prisoners: Rehabilitation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1381W, on prisoners: rehabilitation, what plans his Department has to assess the effects on the rehabilitation of prisoners of the interaction between inmates and prison guards on prison councils.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice currently has no plans to carry out a formal assessment of the impact of prison councils on the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Road Traffic Offences: Electronic Tagging

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the electronic tagging orders imposed during sentencing for road traffic offences have been issued in respect of  (a) driving while disqualified,  (b) drink driving and  (c) other offences since 1999.

David Hanson: The following table shows how many of the electronically monitored curfew orders imposed during sentencing for road traffic offences have been issued in respect of  (a) driving while disqualified,  (b) drink driving and  (c)other summary motoring offences since 1999, up to 2006.
	Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, an electronically monitored curfew became one of a number of requirements of the new community order for adults that courts could impose for offences committed after 4 April 2005. Since its introduction courts have only recorded the number of community orders imposed rather than the requirements used. The table from 2005 therefore reflects the number of curfew orders for juveniles and a declining number of orders given to adults for offences committed before 4 April 2005.
	
		
			  Electronic tagging orders imposed during sentencing for road traffic offences, 1999  to  2006 
			   Driving while disqualified  Drink driving  Other summary driving offences  Other driving offences 
			 1999 61 30 35 402 
			 2000 141 62 30 716 
			 2001 199 92 58 1,092 
			 2002 437 168 107 2,060 
			 2003 759 305 245 3,177 
			 2004 1,040 541 395 5,055 
			 2005 666 371 556 5,183 
			 2006 171 101 104 2,892 
			  Note:  These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.   Source:  NOMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

Road Traffic Offences: Electronic Tagging

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted for road traffic offences have received a sentence including both a curfew and an electronic tagging order since 1999.

David Hanson: The following table shows how many of those convicted for road traffic offences received a sentence including a curfew that was to be electronically monitored since 1999, up to 2006. Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, an electronically monitored curfew became one of a number of requirements of the new community order for adults that courts could impose for offences committed after 4 April 2005. Since its introduction courts have only recorded the number of community orders imposed rather than the requirements used. The table from 2005 therefore reflects the number of curfew orders for juveniles and a declining number of orders given to adults for offences committed before 4 April 2005.
	
		
			  Electronic tagging orders( 1)  imposed during sentencing for road traffic offences, 1999-2006 
			   Driving while disqualified  Drink driving  Other summary driving offences  Other driving offences 
			   Curfew order with electronic tagging  Other form of electronic tagging  Curfew order with electronic tagging  Other form of electronic tagging  Curfew order with electronic tagging  Other form of electronic tagging  Curfew order with electronic tagging  Other form of electronic tagging 
			 1999 61 — 30 — 35 — 402 — 
			 2000 141 — 62 — 30 716 —  
			 2001 199 — 92 — 58 — 1,091 1 
			 2002 437 — 168 — 107 — 2,059 1 
			 2003 759 — 305 — 245 — 3,175 2 
			 2004 1,040 — 541 — 395 — 5,054 1 
			 2005 664 2 371 — 277 — 5,176 7 
			 2006 168 3 101 — 104 — 2,878 14 
			 (1) Exclusion orders with electronic tagging were introduced in the Powers of Criminal Court (Sentencing) Act 2000.   Source:  NOMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Young Offender Institutions: Restraint Techniques

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which recommendations of the Carlile inquiry into the physical restraint of children in custody have been implemented.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 153W.
	The Youth Justice Board (YJB) published its response to Lord Carlile's inquiry in July 2006. Since that time, the YJB has been working hard to implement those of the recommendations that it accepted.
	The YJB has implemented a code of practice across the secure estate for children and young people and is actively monitoring establishments' compliance. It has also improved monitoring and data collection arrangements and undertaken a safeguarding review. The YJB is developing a work force development programme for the young people's secure estate and is working with the Children's Workforce Development Council to agree core competencies for people working with children.
	The YJB is also in the process of developing more sophisticated conflict resolution techniques. Pilots in restorative justice and therapeutic crisis intervention techniques are both under way. The YJB has also considerably increased the number of outdoor exercise facilities for young people.
	The YJB's safeguarding review team has completed its work and is expected to report to Ministers shortly.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Corporate Responsibility

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice and assistance his Department provides to companies on their corporate and social responsibilities in relation to the local community in which they are situated.

Patrick McFadden: BERR encourages UK companies to build effective corporate responsibility practices into their operations. In addition to the legal framework, BERR helps UK companies operating internationally to take into account their economic, social and environmental responsibilities in these countries. BERR offers advice and assistance for all UK companies operating in the UK or overseas via the Corporate Responsibility website.

Work-life Balance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government have taken to assist workers with dependants to manage their work-life balance.

Patrick McFadden: The Government have doubled the rate of maternity pay, extended maternity leave, and introduced paid adoption and paternity leave. In addition, carers and parents of children under six have the right to request flexible working, and we have just announced as a result of the Walsh Review that this will be extended to parents of children up to 16.

Post Office Network

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on progress on the post office network consultation.

Patrick McFadden: To date, 28 out of the network change programme's 47 area plans have gone out to public consultation and final decisions have been announced for 20 of them.

Business Support

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to simplify business support.

Gareth Thomas: In March this year, the Government published their document "Simple Support, Better Business", outlining the steps they will take to simplify publicly funded business support by 2010. The main route to secure support from Government in all its forms will now be through Business Link, where services are being expanded and developed.

Energy Supplies

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with energy supply companies on assistance to vulnerable consumers.

Malcolm Wicks: I held a number of discussions with the six largest energy supply companies during March and April, securing individual agreements with them to treble their collective spend on assistance to vulnerable customers from around £50 million to around £150 million a year by 2010-11.

Energy Supplies

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the future security of UK energy supplies.

Malcolm Wicks: As set out in the Energy Markets Outlook report published in October 2007 we currently have enough gas and electricity supply infrastructure to enable demand to be met until about the middle of the next decade. However, additional investment will be needed to meet demand after that. Provided that the commercial and regulatory environment remains favourable we expect the market to make the necessary investment.

Royal Mail

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the future of the Post Office and Royal Mail.

Patrick McFadden: The Government are providing total funding of up to £1.7 billion up to 2011 to modernise and reshape the post office network and to put it on a stable footing.
	Royal Mail needs to transform into a modern, efficient postal services provider so that it can compete in a liberalised market. The Government have made available £1.2 billion to enable the management to implement its business plan to achieve this.
	The Government announced an independent review of the postal services sector on 17 December 2007. Following the publication of its initial findings, which paint a stark picture of the huge changes in the postal market, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the review panel to bring forward ideas urgently, including changes to the system of regulation, to meet our ambition for a Royal Mail that provides a timely and efficient postal service for domestic and business consumers.

Royal Mail

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on Postcomm's proposal for the part-privatisation of Royal Mail.

Patrick McFadden: Postcomm's proposal that Royal Mail should have greater access to private capital was part of a submission to the independent Review of the postal services sector.
	It would not be appropriate to have a running commentary on points made in submissions to what is an independent review.
	The review panel is expected to report to the Secretary of State later this year.

Agency Workers

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1385-89, on the draft legislative programme, when he plans to complete consultation on legislative proposals on the treatment of agency workers.

Patrick McFadden: Following my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's statement, the Government have been in close contact with the CBI and TUC and welcome the agreement that they reached on 20 May on how fairer treatment for agency workers should be promoted. The Government will now engage with their European partners to seek agreement on the terms of the agency workers directive that will enable this agreement to be brought into legal effect in the UK.

Nuclear Power

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on manufacturing industry of building a new generation of civil nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: The building of new nuclear power stations in the UK could create up to tens of thousands of new jobs. It will be a major opportunity for our manufacturing and construction sectors, with a significant proportion of the work likely to be done in the UK.

Energy: Metering

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consultations his Department has held on policies relating to smart meters over the last five years.

John Hutton: My Department held consultations on metering and billing in November 2006 and August 2007. We have also undertaken extensive impact assessment work on smart metering, which we've published for informal consultation. We will decide finally on smart metering for domestic consumers and small businesses following the second report from the smart meter trials—due in November.

EU Law

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Davidson review on implementation of EU legislation.

Patrick McFadden: All the Davidson review recommendations have either been implemented or are in the process of being implemented.
	 Insurance mediation directive
	In July 2007, legislation came into force to remove the insurance activities of freight forwarders and storage firms from the scope of Financial Services Authority insurance regulation, where the insurance activity relates to a commercial customer. HM Treasury will reconsider the case for extending the exemption to cover retail customers once codes of practice of sufficient standard are in place.
	The Financial Services Authority has made progress in addressing those recommendations on the insurance mediation directive for which it is responsible by publishing new, simplified insurance conduct of business rules in December 2007 that replaced a number of detailed prescriptive rules with greater reliance on principles; completing a review of the retail mediated activity return (RMAR) which will result in a 30 per cent. net reduction in the number of data elements required from end 2008; and publishing a consultation paper in March 2008 to seek views on proposals to reform the Client Assets Sourcebook with the intention to simplify the structure following the implementation of the markets in financial instruments directive.
	 MOT testing
	The Department for Transport intends to issue a consultation document in the near future.
	 Animal scientific procedures
	The Home Office has committed to reduce the administrative burdens arising from the regulation of animal experiments by at least 25 per cent. by 2010. So far, a standard wordings list has been posted on its website for use by personal licence applicants and licensees; fast-track personal licence processes have been put in place; and a revised web-based Certificate of Designation form has been posted.
	 Close links
	The Financial Services Authority published a consultation paper on the close links requirements in December 2005
	(http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/cp/cp07_21.pdf)
	to examine whether there are opportunities for reducing the burdens on firms. HM Treasury is currently reviewing the application of the threshold conditions to firms not covered by the directive.
	 Consumer sales directive
	BERR has asked the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission to review the current legislation, with a view to recommending simplification and rationalisation where possible to make the law easier for all users to understand and use.
	 Fisheries
	The draft Marine Bill was published on 3 April 2008. Consultation on it and the impact assessment closes on 26 June 2008.
	 Waste and other regulatory regimes
	DEFRA and CLG have consulted on improving the interface between the planning and environmental permitting systems. Consultants are now developing a protocol involving the main regulators to deliver a more effective interface when carrying out their respective roles.
	Formal consultation on a revised suite of exemptions from environmental permitting is proposed for July 2008, to come into force in October 2009.
	The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007, which came into force on 6 April 2008, replace over 40 statutory instruments with a single set. This is expected to result in a reduction of administrative burden of £72.3 million over 10 years.
	An informal consultation on a review of inert waste legislation covering the issues raised by the Davidson review closed on 21 March 2008. A summary of the responses and proposals for further action will be available by summer 2008.
	 Waste framework directive
	The Commission guidance on by-products was published in February 2007. Due to the pace of negotiations on the proposed revisions to the EU waste framework directive, DEFRA has not yet published for consultation its draft updated guidance on waste, including the definition of waste, but intends to do so shortly.
	 Food hygiene training for food handlers
	The Food Standards Agency has implemented this recommendation in full.
	 Road haulage operator licensing
	The Department is currently taking part in negotiations on a proposed new EU regulation on access to the occupation of road transport operator—which would replace the existing EC directive that sets European rules on operator licensing. The financial standing requirements form part of those discussions.
	For further details on all this, please see departmental simplification plans which can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/policy/simplifying-existing-regulation/simplification-plans/2007/page44068.html
	 Best practice recommendations
	The Davidson review recommendations on how the Government could improve their approach to handling European legislation in general have mostly been incorporated into a revised version of The Transposition Guide—guidance for officials on negotiating and implementing EU law effectively—which was published in September 2007:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44371.pdf
	The Statute Law Database went live in December 2006. It contains secondary legislation made since 1 January 1991. There are no plans to consolidate the secondary legislation until the consolidation of primary legislation is complete.

Impact Assessments

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what requirements his Department places on  (a) Ministerial departments and  (b) the Office of Fair Trading to produce impact assessments as part of the consultation process on regulatory guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Government's guidance on Impact Assessments and Consultation are both available online at the location provided. The Government are of the strong opinion that the Impact Assessment process strengthens policy-making, and as such is an integral part of the development of new policy.
	The Office of Fair Trading, as an independent entity, may exercise its professional judgment on appropriate adaptations to central Government's Impact Assessment process, in accordance with the particular needs of its regulatory activity. However, OFT recognises the importance of maintaining the spirit of the Impact Assessment process in relation to its regulatory activity and apply it where possible.
	 Impact Assessments:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/policy/scrutinising-new-regulations/preparing-impact-assessments/page44077.html
	 Consultation:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/cyconsultation%20guidance/page44420.html

Internet: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of households in Halifax with a broadband connection to the internet at the latest date for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: Figures for Halifax specifically are not available but the Ofcom "Nations and Regions" report published in May 2007 provided figures for the Yorkshire and Humber region. The report showed 100 per cent. of premises in the region connected to DSL enabled exchanges as well as 42 per cent. of premises able to access broadband through cable technology. Take-up of broadband within the region was at 42 per cent. of all adults in 2006, up from 34 per cent. in 2005 and 57 per cent. of SMEs had broadband connections in 2006. In addition 87 per cent. of the region was covered by at least two mobile operators offering a 3G service, over which mobile broadband could be delivered.

Overseas Trade: USA

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has made to the United States administration on the enforcement of legal restrictions on the operation of UK businesses in the US.

Gareth Thomas: We intervene with the US authorities where and when appropriate, when we consider the commercial interests of UK business to be adversely affected by discriminatory US legislation. Most recently we intervened with the Office of the US Trade Representative in relation to the withdrawal of commitments relating to gambling under GATS Article XXI.

Post Offices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd. about its trials of outreach branches.

Patrick McFadden: I regularly discuss a range of post office network issues with Post Office Ltd. including the outreach element of the network change programme. I have also had recent discussions with the company about their decision to extend trials of outreach service provision into urban communities.

Post Offices: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received on trials of post office outreach branches in Essex.

Patrick McFadden: Post Office Ltd has confirmed that, under its network change programme covering East Essex and Suffolk, a number of post offices will be closed and replaced with an outreach service. The company will publish its network change proposals for the South Essex, South Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire area plan, covering Castle Point constituency, in June and it is likely that this will also include proposals for outreach services. Post Office Ltd recently announced that it had decided to extend trials of outreach service provision into urban communities.

Postal Services: Underground Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the merits of reopening the postal transport system under Central London for Royal Mail purposes.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 May 2008
	The Department has not made any assessment of the merits of reopening Mail Rail. Consideration of the use of Mail Rail is an operational matter for Royal Mail.

Regional Development Agencies: Non-Profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what each regional development agency's  (a) budgets and  (b) objectives are for support for social enterprise in the next three years.

Patrick McFadden: The RDAs' proposals for support for social enterprise covering the next three years will be set out in their corporate plans which are currently being finalised and will be published later this year.

Students: Finance

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will request the Low Pay Commission to take into account the financial position of students in its report on potential changes to the minimum wage to support younger workers; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 6 May 2008
	The Government set the Low Pay Commission remit earlier this year. They requested the Low Pay Commission to make recommendations on the national minimum wage, taking into account a wide range of factors, including the position for young workers.

Working Hours: Pregnancy

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the maximum number of hours is that an employer can require a pregnant employee to work; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 29 April 2008
	The maximum number of hours a pregnant woman can be required to work is 48 hours per week, unless she (the pregnant employee) has signed a waiver.
	However, this may be reduced if the hours of work pose a risk to the expectant mother or her unborn child.
	Employers have a duty to protect the health and safety at work of all employees, including new and expectant mothers and mothers who are breastfeeding. As part of this duty employers are required to carry out a specific risk assessment paying particular attention to risks that could affect the health and safety of the new or expectant mother or her child.
	Employers are obliged to do what is reasonably practicable to control risks such as making changes to the working conditions; hours of work or offer alternative suitable work. If none of these steps adequately reduces the risk the employee must be suspended from work on full pay to protect her and her unborn child.

TRANSPORT

A21: Sevenoaks

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Highways Agency plans to resurface the Sevenoaks section of the A21 with low-noise surfacing.

Tom Harris: The agency used quieter surfacing during maintenance works in 2002 on the A21 section from Dibden Lane Overbridge to the A225/B245 interchange at Sevenoaks Weald and on the crawler lane, constructed in 2006, which runs just north of the lay-by near Morleys Lane Interchange to just north of the Gracious Lane Overbridge on the northbound carriageway.
	The latest technical surveys for the A21 Sevenoaks Bypass show it is in good condition. Current policy following the 2004 spending review is that roads are only resurfaced when required for maintenance or safety reasons. The Highways Agency therefore has no plans to carry out further resurfacing works on the Sevenoaks section of the A21 with low noise surfacing within its current programme.
	When the bypass does require resurfacing in the future, for safety and maintenance reasons, quieter surfacing will be used.

Air Routes: Heathrow Airport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has held with the Civil Aviation Authority on routes for departures from Heathrow Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Planning and regulation of all UK airspace is the responsibility of the independent aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority. The process for making changes to airspace is governed by the CAA's Airspace Change Process. Under this process it is for an airspace change sponsor to develop and consult upon proposals. It is then for the CAA to assess proposals against regulatory requirements and either approve or reject them.
	In accordance with this process, on 21 February NATS launched a consultation on its proposals for changes to Terminal Control North airspace. These proposals include changes to departure routes from Heathrow Airport heading to the north and north east.
	As part of the regulatory process the CAA might consider seeking the Secretary of State's views on environmental aspects of the proposals and may seek her approval for the change. It would therefore be premature and inappropriate for the Secretary of State, or any other member of this Department, to discuss the specifics of the proposal with the CAA, or any other party, whilst it is subject to the rigours of the independent Airspace Change process.

Airports: Public Safety Zones

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the public safety zones for each airfield in Hampshire were last reviewed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Of the two airports in Hampshire where Public Safety Zones (PSZs) have been established, Southampton was reviewed in 1999 and Farnborough in 2004. DFT Circular 1/2002 states that risk contours around airports will be remodelled at intervals of about seven years. A phased review programme covering all established PSZs is due to commence later this year.

Biofuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration she has given to the merits of amending biofuel targets to base them on potential greenhouse gas savings.

Jim Fitzpatrick: On 21 June 2007 the Government stated that they aim from April 2010 to modify the renewable transport fuel obligation so that biofuels are differentiated according to their greenhouse gas savings. An informal policy paper examining some of the issues relating to this aim was published in October 2007 and is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/secrtfostake/informalpolicypaper.
	Subsequent to the June 2007 announcement, the European Commission published in January 2008 a draft renewable energy directive proposing that only biofuels that deliver a 35 per cent. minimum greenhouse gas saving would be eligible for certificates under such schemes as the UK's RTFO. A draft amendment to the fuel quality directive also proposes that transport fuel suppliers be required to reduce the carbon intensity of their fuels, which could effectively incentivise those biofuels which deliver a high level of greenhouse gas savings. Negotiations are ongoing on the detail of both of these draft directives, and the Government will continue to discuss with the Commission and other member states how the stated aims to modify the RTFO in 2010 will fit with whatever requirements ultimately emerge from them.

Biofuels

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effect on global food prices of the EU's goal to achieve 10 per cent. biofuels by 2020.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government take very seriously concerns over rising global food prices. A large number of factors, including biofuel demand, maybe contributing to the situation. That is why the Secretary of State for Transport has asked Professor Ed Gallagher, chair of the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), to lead a review into the indirect effects of biofuels production. The review will closely examine the effects of UK and EU biofuel support policies on global commodity and food prices as well as environmental impacts, and the review will report at the end of June.
	Further details are available on the RFA's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/reportsandpublications/reviewoftheindirecteffectsofbiofuels.cfm
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also asked the World Bank to look into food markets and the impacts of subsidies in time for the next G7 meeting of world leaders in June.

Bus Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates since 1 January 2007  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from her Department met representatives from (i) Stagecoach, (ii) First Group, (iii) Go-Ahead and (iv) Arriva on departmental premises to discuss bus-related matters.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 May 2008
	Ministers and officials have met representatives from these companies on many occasions on departmental premises since 1 January 2007 to discuss bus-related matters. In addition, the Bus Partnership Forum, which includes Ministers and representatives of these companies, has met on 19 March 2007, 10 July 2007, 15 November 2007 and 16 May 2008. On 19 March 2008, the Secretary of State and the Minister of State held a meeting which included representatives of these companies.

Bus Services: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent officials are working on matters related to the determination of operator appeals connected with the national concessionary bus fare scheme; and what the average length of time has been between submission of appeal and determination;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of the consistency of appeal decisions in respect of operator appeals under the national concessionary bus fare scheme;
	(3)  what percentage of appeals have been decided  (a) fully and  (b) partly in favour of bus operators in respect of the 2007 national concessionary bus fare scheme; and how much has been awarded to bus operators to date;
	(4)  how many appeals have been registered by operators against the 2008 national concessionary bus fare scheme; and if she will place a list of those operators in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 May 2008
	There are the equivalent of around four full-time officials working on matters relating to the determination of bus operator appeals, including legal and economic specialists. There were also two independent decision makers appointed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport for the 2007-08 appeals although neither works full time. The average length of time between appeal submission and issue of a determination was 10 months. The issues are complex and it is imperative that each appeal is considered fairly, and this takes time.
	The Secretary of State has not made any assessment of the consistency of the appeal decisions. Determinations of appeals are made by independent decision makers appointed on her behalf. They consider each case on the basis of the evidence submitted by each applicant and the relevant travel concession authority (TCA), with professional economic and legal advice from officials in the Department.
	Appeals determinations in the year 2007-08 were either upheld, in which case the decision makers directed the TCA to modify their schemes to award additional reimbursement to the operator, or they were dismissed. To date, for 2007-08 appeals, 33 were upheld and 34 were dismissed. The decision makers are appointed to determine whether or not the arrangements in a TCA's concessionary travel scheme are appropriate with respect to reimbursement for the services provided by the applicant operator. Based on estimates of outturn data, around £6.5 million additional reimbursement was directed to be paid, in total, to operators whose appeals were successful in 2007-08.
	There were 102 appeals by bus operators regarding reimbursement arrangements in 2007-08, of which, 25 were withdrawn and three were not valid. Of the remaining 74, to date, 67 have been determined. The following is a list of operators who lodged appeals. Some operators had lodged appeals in more than one TCA. Two appeals have so far been lodged against 2008-09 schemes.
	Anglian Bus and Coach Ltd.
	Arriva Midlands
	Arriva North East Ltd.
	Bakers Coaches
	Bournemouth Transport Ltd.
	Bowers Coaches Ltd.
	Brighton and Hove Transport
	Brylaine Travel Ltd.
	Burtons Coaches Ltd.
	Castleways (Winchcombe) Ltd.
	Centrebus Ltd.
	Choice Travel
	Compass Travel (Sussex) Ltd.
	D and G Coach and Bus Ltd.
	East Kent Road Car Ltd. (Stagecoach in East Kent)
	East Midland Motor Services Ltd.
	Eastbourne Buses Ltd.
	Excel Passenger Logistics Ltd.
	F. Hunt (Coach Hire) Ltd.
	First Devon and Cornwall Ltd., jointly with First Hampshire and Dorset Ltd. and First Somerset and Avon Ltd.
	First Hampshire and Dorset Ltd.
	First PMT Ltd.
	First South Yorkshire Ltd.
	Go West Midlands Ltd.
	Hants and Dorset Bus (Damory Coaches)
	Hodson Coaches Ltd.
	Konect Bus Ltd.
	Leicester City Bus (First Leicester)
	Lincolnshire Road Car (Stagecoach in Lincolnshire)
	Marchwood Motorways
	MAS Special Engineering Ltd.
	MetroBus Ltd.
	Midland Red South Ltd. (Stagecoach in Warwickshire)
	Norfolk Green (Go West)
	North Shropshire Community Transport Ltd.
	Northampton Transport Ltd. (First Northampton)
	Nu-Venture Coaches Ltd.
	Oxford Bus Co.
	P. C. Coaches of Lincoln Ltd.
	Plymouth City Transport
	Powells Bus Ltd.
	Pulham and Sons (Coaches) Ltd.
	Red and White Services Ltd. (Stagecoach in South Wales)
	Regal Busways
	Sleafordian Taxi Co. Ltd.
	Solent Blue Line
	Stagecoach Devon
	Stagecoach East Midlands
	Stagecoach in Cambridgeshire (Cambus)
	Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
	Stagecoach in Oxfordshire
	Stagecoach in Yorkshire
	Stagecoach North West
	Stagecoach South
	Stagecoach West
	Stagecoach Yorkshire
	Stephensons of Essex Ltd.
	T. M. Travel Ltd.
	Thames Travel (Wallingford) Ltd.
	Thamesdown Ltd.
	Tourist Coaches
	Trent Barton Buses
	United Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd. (Stagecoach East)
	W. H. Nelson Coaches (Wickford) Ltd.
	West Midlands Travel Ltd.
	Wilfreda Luxury Coaches Ltd.
	Wilts and Dorset Bus

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultants have been contracted by her Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure her Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Driving Tests

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the criteria are for determining driving test centre  (a) location,  (b) relocation and  (c) closure; what (i) primary and (ii) secondary legislation governs such considerations; what changes have been made to each enactment; what recent representations she has received on the location of driving test centres; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: When considering the location, relocation or closure of a driving test centre, the Driving Standards Agency follows the "Code of Practice on Written Consultations—Driving Test Centres". This is a ministerially agreed document which is available from the DSA website. The current service levels for travelling distance to a practical car driving test centre are:
	
		
			  Population density  Distance criteria 
			 >=1250/km2 No more than 7 miles 
			 101-1249/km2 No more than 20 miles 
			 0-100 km2 No more than 30 miles 
		
	
	The target for practical motorcycle test candidates is that most should be able to reach a multi-purpose driving test centre within 30 to 45 minutes travelling no more than 20 miles.
	There is no legislation that governs the location, relocation or closure of driving test centres. These are administrative matters for DSA. The Agency takes account of the views of Ministers when formulating policy on driving test centre location and closures. Since May 2007 DSA has received the following representations on the location of driving test centres:
	Two adjournment debates regarding the closures of Trowbridge and Minehead driving test centres.
	10 parliamentary questions on driving test centre location since November 2007.
	317 letters regarding the future or closure of a driving test centre.

Driving Under the Influence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what comparative assessment her Department has made of the effects on driving ability of consumption of  (a) cannabis and  (b) alcohol; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether her Department has a means by which to measure the extent to which driving ability may be compromised by the consumption of cannabis; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has investigated the combined effects of cannabis and low amounts of alcohol. The report 'The influence of cannabis and alcohol on driving' was published in 2002 by TRL Ltd (formerly the Transport Research Laboratory) and is available free on-line as report TRL 547 at:
	www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211&pno=9&searchtext=&advancedsearch=&allwords=&submitted=1
	The Department has not commissioned research specifically comparing the effects of cannabis with differing levels of alcohol.
	The Department has also investigated the effect of cannabis on driving. The report 'The influence of cannabis on driving' was published in 2000 as TRL477 which is similarly available on-line at
	www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211&pno=11&searchtext=&advancedsearch=&allwords=&submitted=1
	In addition the Department's Road Safety Research Report No 12 'Cannabis and driving: a literature review and commentary' was published in 2000 and is available on-line at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme3/cannabisanddrivingareviewoft476

Highways Agency: Noise

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated to the Highways Agency for noise reduction measures in each of the three financial years from 2008-09; and what proportion of the Highways Agency's budget this represents in each year.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency's budget includes an annual £5 million ring-fenced allocation for noise mitigation measures in the most serious and pressing cases, where practical and cost-effective measures can be provided. These measures are applied to the entire strategic road network. This annual allocation for noise mitigation is scheduled to continue until the end of the current spending review period i.e. 2010-11.
	Noise mitigation measures are also included in the agency's improvement schemes, where warranted, as it is more cost-effective to do this work concurrently with other scheme works. The cost of these works is subsumed within the overall cost of the individual schemes making it difficult to extract the exact figure allocated to noise mitigation without a disproportionate commitment of resources.
	Additionally low noise surfacing materials are used as a matter of course when major maintenance is required on the strategic road network. As the noise reduction results are a secondary benefit it would be inappropriate to assign costs from resurfacing to noise reduction alone.

Luton Airport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has held with the Civil Aviation Authority on publication of the Western Airspace Extension review for Luton Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Following the introduction of revised airspace arrangements at London Luton Airport in May 2006, the CAA conducted a post-implementation (operational) review in accordance with the requirements of the Airspace Charter and Airspace Change Process (Stage 7). The post-implementation review was published on 31 January 2008. There is no requirement within the Airspace Charter or Airspace Change Process for the CAA to engage with the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of operational reviews and no such discussions took place.

Road Signs and Markings: Repairs and Maintenance

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency spent on replacing missing and vandalised traffic signs in each year since 1997.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency does not hold the requested data.

Roads: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any Highways Agency road building contracts are the subject of investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.

Tom Harris: No.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to produce a working definition of a region for the purposes of allocation of responsibility for maritime and coastal pollution following the first Aquamarina group meeting in Brussels in March 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are not taking any action to develop a definition of "region" following the meeting of the Aquamarina group.
	Aquamarina is a working group of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe—CPMR (an organisation of local and regional government representatives), set up to monitor progress on the new Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, commonly known as the "Blue Book", which has been brought forward by the European Commission.
	National governments, including the UK, are not routinely represented on the Aquamarina group. However, the UK Government have been actively engaged in discussions at EU level on proposals brought forward by the European Commission in connection with the Blue Book.

Shipping

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what obligations ship owners are under to inform the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of cargoes lost overboard in  (a) British and  (b) international waters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Reporting requirements for the loss of polluting goods, containers or packages overboard are addressed under the Merchant Shipping Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Reporting Requirements) regulations 2004/2110.
	All vessels operating in UK controlled waters must inform the Coastguard of any such losses from the vessel itself or of sightings of containers and packages drifting at sea.
	For UK vessels operating in international waters a report must be made to the authority of the coastal state of any losses of polluting goods, containers or packages which pose a threat to the coastline or a related interest of that state.

Stansted Airport: Carbon Emissions

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate how many additional tonnes of carbon dioxide would be generated by a second runway at Stansted over its lifetime, calculated according to the methodology used to estimate additional carbon dioxide produced for a third runway at Heathrow as shown in Annex B, paragraph 2.23 of the Heathrow consultation document.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our current forecasts of UK aviation carbon dioxide emissions were reported in "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts" (November 2007), available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/
	According to these forecasts, the opening of a second runway at Stansted airport in 2015 would cause carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation from the time of opening to 2075 to rise by 135MtCO2, equivalent to 2.3MtCO2 per year on average.
	The UK is continuing to press for the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which under current proposals would effectively cap aviation emissions at an average level over the period 2004 to 2006. This means that any additional aviation emissions above that level would lead to no increase in total emissions when the trading scheme is established, since airlines would have to pay for the equivalent emissions reductions in other sectors.

Transport: Supermarkets

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of the siting of supermarkets on local transport systems; and what steps she is taking to mitigate any negative effects.

Rosie Winterton: It is for local planning authorities to select appropriate sites for allocation for new development (including supermarkets) in their development plans and to determine whether the transport impacts of new developments are acceptable.
	In selecting sites for new development in their development plans, Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) requires that local authorities should have regard to (i) whether the sites are or will be accessible and well served by a choice of means of transport, especially public transport, walking and cycling, as well as by car; and (ii) the impact on car use, traffic and congestion.
	Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport, states that where new development is likely to have significant transport implications, a Transport Assessment (TA) should be prepared and submitted with the planning application for the development. A TA should illustrate accessibility to the site by all modes and the likely modal split of journeys. It should also give details of the proposed measures to improve access by walking, cycling and public transport; to reduce the need for parking, and to mitigate transport impacts.
	When considering planning applications, TAs will be used by local planning authorities to determine whether the transport impacts of new developments are acceptable.
	Guidance on transport assessments was published by the DFT in March 2007.

Transport: Supermarkets

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she next plans to meet senior managers of UK supermarkets to discuss the effect of  (a) supermarket supply chains and  (b) freight movements on UK roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Neither I, nor the Secretary of State, have any meetings planned with the senior managers of UK supermarkets at this time. However, officials are in regular contact with major supermarkets and their logistics partners and discuss issues relating to supply chains and the movement of freight around the UK.

Waterloo Station

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capital investment her Department plans to make at Waterloo station in the next 10 years; what further options for investment at Waterloo are under consideration; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: We are planning a large scheme to make the platforms at Waterloo long enough to accommodate 10 and 12 car trains and in addition, to modify the junction layout on the approaches to the station. This would allow the use of up to 50 per cent. longer trains and increase capacity.
	The scheme also presents opportunities at Waterloo International to reconfigure the passenger circulation space and the interchange with other transport modes, and to better integrate the station into the surrounding area. The Department for Transport has included an allowance of between £150 million and £200 million in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) for these and the associated works on the South Western network. The works could be in place from 2012-14.
	In the meantime, the Department is working closely with Network Rail and Stagecoach South Western Trains (SSWT) to finalise the design and costs of the partial conversion of Waterloo International to accommodate some domestic services. Therefore some services could use platform 20 of Waterloo International from December 2008. This scheme is likely to cost in the region of £5 million.
	For the longer term, the Department and Network Rail are looking at the much larger, comprehensive redevelopment of the Waterloo complex to meet the demands and capacity requirements at the station over the coming decades. Such a major re-design of the station could be linked to a large scale commercial development at the site.

TREASURY

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: There have been no apprenticeships or advanced apprenticeships in HM Treasury in the past year.
	Of its agencies, the Valuation Office Agency had 22 staff undertake apprenticeships in the most recent scheme run by VOA which ended in 2006. There have been no advanced apprenticeships. Since the 2006 Programme, the VOA have switched from apprenticeships to stand alone NVQ's at levels 2 and 3. The Royal Mint had four apprenticeships for 2007-08. No other agencies of HM Treasury had any apprenticeships.
	HMRC does not currently have any apprenticeships but is taking part in the apprenticeship pathfinder being organised by Government Skills (the sector skills council for central Government), and aims to start at least 50 apprenticeships later this year.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of exempting from capital gains tax business owners who sell their businesses upon retirement up to the value of  (a) £100,000,  (b) £200,000,  (c) £300,000,  (d) £400,000,  (e) £500,000 and  (f) £1,000,000 in 2008-09.

Jane Kennedy: Due to the specific nature of how this relief would interact with the capital gain tax entrepreneurs' relief it is not possible to provide these estimates.

Child Benefit: EU Nationals

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nationals of each A8 country were receiving child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state at the end of March; and at what average cost to the public purse in each month.

Jane Kennedy: Around 7.5 million families are currently claiming child benefit for around 13 million children.
	At the end of March 2008, there were 24,060 ongoing child benefit awards to A8 nationals recorded as receiving child benefit for 39,425 children living in another EEA member state. This equates to around a third of a percent of all child benefit awards.
	The breakdown by nationality is as follows but these disaggregated numbers are only estimates and should be used with caution.
	
		
			  Country  Number of awards at 31 March 2008  Number of children included in awards 
			 Czech Republic 130 217 
			 Estonia 11 16 
			 Hungary 48 81 
			 Latvia 225 292 
			 Lithuania 603 888 
			 Poland 21,915 35,949 
			 Slovakia 1,125 1,978 
			 Slovenia 3 4 
			 Total 24,060 39,425 
		
	
	The other information requested is not available in the format requested or is available only at a disproportionate cost.

Delivery Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition his Department and each of its agencies use of a secure courier.

Angela Eagle: There is no single definition of secure courier. Cabinet Office guidelines specify different requirements for couriers, depending on the level of protection that is required. Each Department or agency applies the rules, and selects the courier service that best meets their needs, ensuring that transport of the more sensitive items is only entrusted to those couriers who offer the highest levels of assurance. The timely, safe and secure carriage and delivery of our goods is fundamental to all our courier contracts.

Departmental Catering

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of food and drink procured for working lunches attended by officials at which no external invitees were present in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Working lunches are not separately identifiable within the Treasury's accounting system and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All expenditure, including that on hospitality, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Databases

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 721-22W, on departmental databases, which US-registered service provider has been engaged to manage certain aspects of personal data; and what types of personal information it has been engaged to manage.

Angela Eagle: National Savings and Investments have engaged US registered service providers as follows:
	CACI—a wholly owned UK subsidiary of CACI Inc. A division of CACI has been engaged to help NS and I with analysis. This has included sending them customer name and address data along with account data.
	Acxiom—a UK subsidiary of a US company. NS and I have in the past provided all account opening information, including but not limited to name, address and purchase amount to Acxiom for analysis. This work was taken over by a UK based provider in 2005.
	S1—a US company based in Atlanta. Data processing covered by a Safe Harbour Agreement. S1 host the internet engine for the NS and I Direct ISA product. They hold customer information including but not limited to name, address, telephone number, NI number and purchase amount.
	NS and I has a number of different contractors and due to the diverse nature of their requirements there are different levels of protection covered by their terms and conditions. As a minimum, their terms and conditions include compliance with the Data Protection Act, however higher risk contracts have more robust clauses.

Departmental Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of producing his Department's staff magazine in the latest year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury no longer produces a regular magazine for staff. One-off issues may be used from time to time for internal communication. The cost of producing any one-off staff magazines is met using our in house team except for printing, which costs on average £1,000.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the revenue from auctioning allowances for large electricity producers under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme  (a) in the period up to 2012-13 and  (b) following the auctioning of 100 per cent. allowances from 2012-13.

Angela Eagle: The Government plan to auction 7 per cent. of allowances in phase II of EU ETS, amounting to approximately 85 million allowances, plus those allowances from installations that close during phase II and any unused surplus from the new entrant reserve (NER). Under the terms of the EU EST Directive 2003/87/EC, the total number of allowances auctioned cannot exceed 10 per cent. of the number allocated during phase II. The auctioning levels for the EU ETS post 2012 have not yet been determined. However, the Chancellor announced in Budget 2008 that the UK intends to auction 100 per cent. of allowances to the large electricity producers.
	The amount of revenue will be influenced by the market price at the time of the auctions. It would be improper for Government to speculate on how the market will function in the future. Therefore we cannot give an estimate of the amount of revenue the auctions will raise in the period up to 2012-13 or upon auctioning of 100 per cent. of allowances to large electricity producers from 2013 onwards.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) private businesses and  (b) public sector employers of implementing his decision to increase income tax personal allowances in 2008; and if he will publish a full impact assessment.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 19 May 2008
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and employers' representatives have long established processes in place to ensure any changes to tax can be implemented by businesses as soon and simply as possible. HMRC is talking to employers' representatives about the smooth and timely implementation of the changes announced by the Chancellor. Each year, HMRC sends tools to employers so that they can automatically implement the annual Budget changes. HMRC are following this well-understood process in implementing the changes announced by the Chancellor. HMRC are issuing updated tools to employers, which will include all the details to enable an employer to automatically implement the changes. For smaller employers who continue to operate their payrolls manually, HMRC will provide tax tables to help them deal with the changes.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on economic growth of the reduction in income tax revenues arising from the proposed increase in the personal allowance.

Jane Kennedy: The Treasury last published forecasts for the UK economy in the 2008 Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 388). These will be updated as part of the 2008 pre-Budget report, as is normal practice.

Ministerial Statements

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when copies of his Oral Statement of 13 May 2008  (a) were planned to be and  (b) were made available to (i) hon. Members (A) in the Vote Office and (B) behind the Speaker's chair and (ii) the media.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury made arrangements for copies of the statement to be made available to Members and the media after the Chancellor had delivered it in the Chamber. That is what happened.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the criteria are for determining when to uprate the rate at which private car owners may claim tax relief for journeys undertaken for companies and voluntary organisations; when the rate was last amended; and what plans he has to review the rate.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 22W.
	The Government consider that the mileage rates, introduced in 2002, are sufficiently high to cover the business motoring expenses of most drivers. The Chancellor announced in Budget 2008 that the Government would maintain the tax-free mileage allowance (AMAPs) rates and thresholds at current levels.

Offshore Funds

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many offshore accounts have been declared under HM Revenue and Customs' amnesty; how much additional revenue has been collected as a result of the amnesty; whether foreign owned UK banks have been included in the disclosures; and whether offshore subsidiaries of UK banks have been included in the disclosures.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC is considering the information provided by over 44,000 taxpayers who took the opportunity to put their tax affairs in order under the recent offshore disclosure facility. The disclosures totalled over £400 million and included details of over 65,000 offshore accounts.
	The facility was not an amnesty as taxpayers were required to pay the full tax due (not just the tax linked to an offshore account) plus interest and, except in the very smallest cases, a penalty of a set 10 per cent. of the tax.
	Taxpayers were not asked for details of their accounts held at UK banks (whether foreign owned or not) but were required to declare outstanding tax due from all sources.
	Accounts with both offshore subsidiaries and offshore branches of UK banks have been included in disclosures received by HMRC.

Public Sector: Pensions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects public sector pension scheme liability estimates to appear on all Government accounts.

Yvette Cooper: Public sector pension liabilities will be published in Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) for financial year 2009-10. An exact date for publication of these accounts will be set after the 2008-09 dry run WGA process has been completed.

Revenue and Customs: Southport

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans HM Revenue and Customs has for the usage of Dukes House in Southport in the next 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced on 29 February its plans to vacate its office in Dukes House, Southport, by spring 2010 or earlier as staff are relocated to other buildings which will be retained. The enquiry centre services currently available at Dukes House will either remain in the current building or be relocated nearby.
	HMRC leases Dukes House from its strategic estates partner, Mapeley, under the terms of the STEPS contract. HMRC will give at least 12 months' notice to Mapeley of its intention to vacate the building. Once HMRC's lease has ended, responsibility for the future use of Dukes House will be entirely a matter for Mapeley.

Revenue and Customs: Southport

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revisions HM Revenue and Customs has made to its plans to relocate its offices in Dukes House, Southport, following the outcomes of appeals against its original proposals on the part of employees.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC's) plans are still as announced on 29 February: to relocate staff from most of the business units in its office in Dukes House Southport to join larger teams in other offices within reasonable daily travelling time. Customer Contact staff will remain in or near their current location to maintain the enquiry centre services currently offered at Dukes House.
	Individual members of staff may object through a grievance and appeals process against a decision that it is reasonable to require them to relocate. Where agreement is reached that it would be unreasonable for an individual to relocate with their team to the long-term location preferred by their own business unit, all alternative options will be explored, such as transfer to another business unit in an HMRC office within reasonable daily travelling time, or to another Government Department within the locality.
	If none of the alternative options is feasible, temporary work of comparable quality will be provided in the Southport office for individuals who cannot move until a permanent solution is found. That will not affect the business decision to vacate the office, though it may affect the timing of the vacation.

Taxation: Aviation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of levying aviation duty on business in the UK.

Angela Eagle: An initial impact assessment was included in the formal consultation document issued on 31 January 2008.
	A final impact assessment will be published at the same time as the policy announcement in the autumn. The main areas covered in the impact assessment will include the impact of the tax on business compliance costs (including estimates of these costs), overall competition in the aviation sector, small firms, other sectors carbon and other environmental effects.

Valuation Office: Cameras

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) digital and  (b) video cameras the Valuation Office Agency has purchased in the last 24 months; and at what cost.

Jane Kennedy: 791 digital cameras were purchased in the last 24 months (April 2006-March 2008) at a total cost of £112,486.64. No video cameras were purchased.

Welfare Tax Credits

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last visited a tax credit office.

Jane Kennedy: I was appointed as the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in June 2007 and as the Minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) I have visited a number of HMRC offices, including the tax credit office in Preston in September 2007, and tax credit staff working in Liverpool in February 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of tax credits awarded to deceased persons in the last financial year.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 243W.
	The same information for 2006-07 will be available from 20 May 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which user groups he has consulted on the operation of the tax credit system.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 May 2008
	HMRC consults on a regular basis with a wide range of organisations.
	It also has a tax credit specific consultation group, which has met regularly since the scheme began. Members of this group include organisations such as Child Poverty Action Group, One Parent Families, Citizens Advice and Low Incomes Tax Reform Group. The minutes of those meetings are published on HMRC's website at
	www.hmrc.gov.uk.
	HMRC also seeks the advice of the Social Security Advisory Committee under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed between the former Inland Revenue and the Committee.

Wines: Measurement

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance HM Revenue and Customs issues on the sizes of wine glasses used by wine-selling on-trade establishments; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs does not issue guidance on the sizing of glasses used for serving wine in on-trade establishments. Trading standards authorities are responsible for enforcement of the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquors) Order 1988, which specifies that wine, when sold in a glass or other vessel from which it is intended to be drunk, may be sold only in units or multiples of either 125 ml and 175 ml.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Campusalam: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has allocated to  (a) the Campusalam website and  (b) the Lokahi Foundation in each year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 20 May 2008
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has not funded the Campusalam website nor the Lokahi Foundation.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, when she expects the new board of experts to advise local authorities, councillors and local communities on tackling radicalisation and those promoting hate announced by the Prime Minister to be set up; who she expects to be members of the board; what she expects the cost of the board to be; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	We are working with the Improvement and Development Agency to develop a network of qualified peer mentors to provide advice to local authorities on work to prevent violent extremism. Peer mentors are made up of locally elected councillors, local council officials and voluntary sector representatives who will be available to work with local authorities to develop their approaches to preventing violent extremism. The approach is currently being piloted, with a view to rolling out the programme further shortly. To date 25 new peers have been accredited. The costs of accreditation and training totalled approximately £35,000 in 2007-08.

Council Tax: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties there were in each council tax band in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in each year between 2003 and 2007; and how many in each band were  (a) empty and  (b) exempt because all residents were students in each year.

Iain Wright: Details of the number of dwellings in each council tax band in Newcastle upon Tyne in each year between 2003 and 2007 are shown in the following table. Also shown for each year are the total number of properties that were either empty or exempt from council tax because all residents were students. It is not possible to break these figures down by council tax band.
	
		
			  Number of dwellings 
			  £ 
			  Valuation band  Valuation band range  (£)  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 A Under 40,000 72,423 72,183 71,988 71,849 71,944 
			 B 40,001 to 52,000 17,379 17,389 17,441 17,514 17,675 
			 C 52,001 to 68,000 16,674 16,923 17,110 17,134 17,341 
			 D 68,001 to 88,000 7,464 7,603 7,709 7,774 7,972 
			 E 88,001 to120,000 3,668 3,783 3,840 3,866 3,923 
			 F 120,001 to 160,000 1,688 1,718 1,782 1,799 1,824 
			 G 160,001 to 320,000 1,310 1,360 1,363 1,379 1,433 
			 H Over 320,000 114 115 113 115 117 
			 Total  120,720 121,074 121,346 121,430 122,229 
			 Empty dwellings  7,275 6,141 5,829 5,595 5,710 
			 Student exemptions  5,035 5,830 5,924 6,035 6,453 
		
	
	The dwellings data are provided by the Valuation Office Agency while the student exemption and empty dwellings data are as reported annually to Communities and Local Government on the CTB and CTB(Supplementary) forms that are completed by all billing authorities in England. All the data relate to particular dates in the autumnof each year.

Empty Property

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the vacancy rate of properties in each housing renewal area in 2007 was as a percentage of the regional vacancy rate; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Vacancy rates in Housing Renewal areas and their regions, October 2007 
			  Region/Renewal  a rea  Housing Renewal vacancy rate (percentage)  Region vacancy rate (percentage)  Ratio of HRA to regional vacancy rate 
			  North East
			 Newcastle Gateshead 5.0 4.1 1.2 
			 
			  North West
			 Manchester Salford 6.7 4.6 1.5 
			 Merseyside 5.7 4.6 1.3 
			 Oldham and Rochdale 4.7 4.6 1.0 
			 East Lancashire 6.4 4.6 1.4 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber
			 Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire 5.7 4.5 1.3 
			 South Yorkshire 3.9 4.5 0.9 
			 
			  West Midlands
			 North Staffordshire 4.6 3.5 1.3 
			 Birmingham and Sandwell 3.7 3.5 1.1 
			  Source: Council Tax Base

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the Stakeholder Panel on home information packs as referred to in the Government Response to the Communities and Local Government Committee's Report on the Department for Communities and Local Government's Annual Report 2007, Cm 7335, paragraph 14.

Caroline Flint: A copy of the minutes to the meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling held on 25 July 2007 has been deposited in the Library of the House. All subsequent meetings were held under the Chatham House Rule and no final minutes were produced for these.

Homeless

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of people living  (a) in hostels,  (b) in bed and breakfasts,  (c) in squats and  (d) with friends or family members on a non-permanent basis.

Iain Wright: holding answer 20 May 2008
	The Department does not hold a total figure centrally.
	The Homeless UK project, run by the Resource Information Service (RIS), provides information on hostels and supported accommodation for homeless people in England. There are 1,204 accommodation projects with over 57,000 bed spaces. 246 are direct access hostels with 9,000 bed spaces. Direct access hostels are short-stay emergency services aimed at rough sleepers and those in need of immediate accommodation. Further information on the other types of hostels covered by RIS is not yet available.
	RIS does not cover accommodation provided under statutory homelessness provisions. Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data on the number of households living in temporary accommodation secured by local housing authorities in England under the homelessness legislation are available in our quarterly statistical release, which provides details on types of temporary accommodation including hostels and bed and breakfast hotels. The latest release, published on 10 March 2008 on the Department of Communities and Local Government's website and placed in the Library, contains temporary accommodation data up until the end of December 2007. At the end of December 2007, there were :
	3,530 households in bed and breakfast hotels; and
	6,620 households in hostels (including women's refuges),
	secured as temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation.
	Data on squats or accommodation provided by friends or family are not held centrally.

Housing: Low Incomes

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families were on social housing waiting lists in each region of England in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: holding answer 15 May 2008
	Information on the number of households on local authorities' waiting lists broken down by Government office region and local authority for 1997 to 2007 is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600 at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/l 44458.xls
	Copies of this table have been deposited in the Library of the House.
	Information about social housing waiting lists is collected in respect of households rather than families.

Mortgages

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of  (a) the number and  (b) the percentage of new mortgages taken out in each year between 2003 and 2007 with a loan to value ratio in excess of 100 per cent.

Iain Wright: Data on mortgages for house purchase are available from the Regulated Mortgage Survey which is supplied to Communities and Local Government by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. As the survey is a sample, data on the total number of new mortgages are unavailable from this source. However by deriving proportions from the survey and applying them to the total number of new mortgages in the UK, as published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, an estimate of the total number can be provided.
	The estimated number and proportion of new mortgages in the UK with a loan to value ratio in excess of 100 per cent. for the years 2003 to 2007 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number  Proportion (%) 
			 2003 27,100 2.2 
			 2004 20,000 1.6 
			 2005 17,000 1.7 
			 2006 20,800 1.9 
			 2007 18,500 1.8 
			 Source:  Regulated Mortgage Survey and the Council of Mortgage Lenders. 
		
	
	Loan to value has been calculated using the mortgage advance against the purchase price which may not be the same as the value of the property.
	Some mortgage advances also include fees on top of the advance required for the purchase of the property. Hence some 100 per cent. loan to value mortgages will have been included in the figures above for mortgages in excess of 100 per cent. of value.

Ordnance Survey

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the definition of Ordnance Survey's new Public Task has been extended to include addressing.

Iain Wright: Ordnance Survey's Public Task has not been extended to include addressing as Ordnance Survey has a history of collecting, recording and publishing addressing in part since the 1860s and in full since the 1940s. More recently Ordnance Survey has taken advantage of digital technology to store this information in databases and make it available separately from mapping.

Planning Permission: Gardens

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what grounds local authorities can reject applications for planning permission for developments in back gardens.

Iain Wright: Local planning authorities must determine planning applications in accordance with the statutory Development Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Government national statements of planning policy, such as the policies on housing set out in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3), are capable of being material considerations to be taken into account by local planning authorities.
	PPS3 has strengthened the ability that local planning authorities have always had to turn down applications for inappropriate housing development in back gardens. In particular, local authorities could put in place local policies that place restrictions on development on residential brownfield land and set separate targets for different kinds of brownfield land, for example, promoting development on industrial sites. Local planning authorities could also develop their own design policies that set out the quality of development that will be expected in their local area, so that local authorities should feel able to reject proposals which are inappropriate in their context, or which fail to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions.
	Local planning authorities should make decisions on planning applications having robust and appropriate policies up front in plans, working with their local communities.

Planning Permission: Schools

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications were  (a) received and  (b) granted for the development of new (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally. Communities and Local Government collects quarterly aggregate statistics on development control from all local planning authorities in England. However, we do not collect information on individual planning applications.

Planning Permission: Urban Areas

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had on the merits of removing the need test from Planning Policy Statement 6; and what assessment she has made of the likely economic effect on town centres of ending the need test.

Iain Wright: Our response to the consultation on the Planning White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future in November 2007 said that we have had a positive and constructive discussions with key stakeholders about our proposal to improve the effectiveness of town centre policy in Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6).
	It remains our intention to revise PPS6 and replace the need and impact tests with a new test for assessing the impact of proposals outside town centres. The new test will have a strong town centre-first policy focus, promoting competition and improving consumer choice, avoiding the unintended effects of the current need test.
	We will be publishing our proposals to revise PPS6 for consultation in the summer. This will include an assessment of the economic impacts of the proposals on town centres.

Planning Permission: Urban Areas

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to make changes to town centre first planning policy; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We remain committed to the town centre first policy. The Government's proposals for improving the effectiveness of town centre policy are set out in the Planning White PaperPlanning for a Sustainable Future (May 2007). To implement these proposals we intend to consult on revisions to Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6) in the summer. PPS6 only applies in England.

Regional Ministers: Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2140W, on regional Ministers, what the  (a) grade and  (b) pay scale is of the staff working for each regional Minister in their regional capacity.

Hazel Blears: Departments' and Government Offices' support to their regional Ministers in their regional capacity varies over time. As such the following information should be seen as estimates and, at any point in time, staff beyond those listed here may be engaged in providing support and input to the role of the regional Ministers. These staff are overseen by senior grades in a management capacity.
	Pay scales vary between Departments and so are listed in a separate column. Government Offices pay scales are listed as follows.
	
		
			   Departmental Private Office  Government Office 
			  Region  Grades and FTE  Departmental pay scale(s) ()  Grades and FTE 
			 North East 1.0 Senior/Higher Executive Officer 26,721 to 34,612 0.3 Grade 7 
			  1FTE  0.2 Information Officer 
			0.2 Higher Executive Officer 
			0.2 2 Executive Officers 
			0.1 Administrative Officer 
			1 FTE 
			 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1 Higher Executive Officer 29,550 to 34,710 0.5 Higher Executive Officer 
			  1FTE  1.0 Executive Officer 
			1.5 FTE in total 
			 
			 North West 1.0 Higher Executive Officer(1) 27,970 to 37,210 1.0 Higher Executive Officer 
			  1FTE  1FTE 
			 
			 East 0.4 Executive Officer 22,130 to 27,850 0.5 Senior Executive Officer 
			  0.4 FTE  1.5 Higher Executive Officer 
			0.5 Executive Officer 
			2.5 FTE 
			 
			 East Midlands 1.0 Higher Executive Officer 26,721 to 34,612 0.25 Grade 5 
			  1 FTE  0.5 Grade 7 
			0.75 Senior Executive Officer 
			1.0 Higher Executive Officer 
			0.5 Executive Officer 
			0.5 Administrator Officer 
			3.5 FTE 
			 
			 West Midlands 0.2 Grade 7 43,325 to 55,837 0.7 Grade 7 
			  0.2 Executive Officer 20,034 to 24,050 1.0 Higher Executive Officer 
			  0.4 FTE  1.7 FTE 
			 
			 South East 0.5 Higher Executive Officer 28,901 to 33,986 0.5 Grade 6 
			  0.5 FTE  0.2 Grade 7 
			0.2 Senior Executive Officer 
			0.3 Higher Executive Officer 
			0.8 Executive Officer 
			2 FTE 
			 
			 London Support for the Minister in her regional capacity is divided between four staff who spend a proportion of their time on regional business 41,923 to 53,762 0.4 Grade 7 
			  Given the nature of the Minister's roles as Minister for the Olympics and London, it is not possible to separate out the amount of time spent by members of the Private Office specifically on regional activities 26,721 to 34,612 0.8 Higher Executive Officer 
			   21,260 to 26,199 0.3 Executive Officer 
			   16,768 to 21,080 1.5 FTE 
			 
			 South West 1.0 Senior Executive Officer 28,723 to 41,991 1 .0 Executive Officer 
			  1FTE  1FTE 
			 (1)From 7 April 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Government Office network pay ranges with effect from 1 August 2007 
			   
			  Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			 AO London 19,624 22,889 
			 PS London 19,624 22,889 
			 AO National 15,185 17,698 
			 SGB1 National 15,185 17,698 
			 PS National 15,185 17,698 
			 AO OL 17,655 21,236 
			 SGB1 OL 17,655 21,236 
			 PSOL 17,655 21,236 
			
			 EO London 22,819 28,139 
			 SPS London 22,819 28,139 
			 EO National 18,387 22,665 
			 SPS National 18,387 22,665 
			 EO OL 20,880 25,910 
			 SPS OL 20,880 25,910 
			 Mapping and Charting Officer National 22,494 27,731 
			 Research Officer National 22,494 27,731 
			 Mapping and Charting Officer OL 24,363 30,234 
			 Research Officer OL 24,363 30,234 
			 EO Accountant London 26,697 31,842 
			 EO Accountant National 21,579 26,600 
			 EO Accountant OL 24,850 30,837 
			
			 HEO London 28,475 32,942 
			 HEO National 24,615 28,449 
			 HEO OL 27,026 31,929 
			 HEO Accountant London 33,554 38,514 
			 HEO Auditor London 33,554 38,514 
			 HEO Accountant National 28,441 32,739 
			 HEO Auditor National 28,441 32,739 
			 HEO Accountant OL 30,952 37,397 
			 HEO Auditor OL 30,952 37,397 
			 Higher Scientific Officer London 31,481 36,453 
			 HPTO London 31,481 36,453 
			 Higher Scientific Officer National 29,286 33,885 
			 HPTO National 29,286 33,885 
			 Senior Instructional Officer National 29,286 33,885 
			 Higher Scientific Officer OL 29,978 35,347 
			 HPTO OL 29,978 35,347 
			 Senior Instructional Officer OL 29,978 35,347 
			 Information Officer National 25,935 33,257 
			
			 SEO London 34,707 40,140 
			 SEO National 30,081 34,771 
			 SEO OL 32,589 38,514 
			 SEO Accountant London 38,570 44,827 
			 SEO Accountant National 33,948 39,491 
			 SEO Auditor National 33,948 39,491 
			 SEO Accountant OL 36,469 43,527 
			 SEO Auditor OL 36,469 43,527 
			 Senior Information Officer London 36,559 41,540 
			 Senior Information Officer National 34,484 39,183 
			 SPTO London 41,017 47,472 
			 Senior Planning Officer London 41,017 47,472 
			 Senior Research Officer London 41,017 47,472 
			 Senior Scientific Officer London 41,017 47,472 
			 SPTO National 37,501 43,385 
			 Senior Planning Officer National 37,501 43,385 
			 Senior Research Officer National 37,501 43,385 
			 Senior Scientific Officer National 37,501 43,385 
			 SPTO OL 38,757 45,702 
			 Senior Planning Officer OL 38,757 45,702 
			 Senior Research Officer OL 38,757 45,702 
			 Senior Scientific Officer OL 38,757 45,702 
			 Grade 7 London 45,550 58,775 
			 Grade 7 Accountant London 45,550 58,775 
			 Grade 7 National 41,071 52,811 
			 Grade 7 Accountant National 41,071 52,811 
			 Grade 7 OL 43,884 57,502 
			 Grade 7 Accountant OL 43,884 57,502 
			 Grade 6 London 54,350 70,643 
			 Grade 6 National 50,282 64,884 
			 Grade 6 OL 53,217 69,730 
			 Grade 5 56,100 116,000

Regional Ministers: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2140-42W, to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on Regional Ministers: manpower, what the pay bands of staff supporting each Minister are.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) today (PQ 196233).

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1426W, on regional planning and development: South East, what progress she has made on establishing when her response to the South East Plan will be published.

Parmjit Dhanda: It is still the intention of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to publish her proposed changes to Regional Spatial Strategy for the South East before the summer recess.

Rented Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to receive the final report on the review of the private rented sector from the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The final report of the review of the private rented sector is expected in October.
	The review has a wide remit to look at how the sector meets current needs and expectations and whether and how the experiences of both landlords and tenants might be improved. In the context of future demand and supply pressures in the private rented sector, the review will look at what needs to be done to ensure private renting offers people the right type of homes of good quality, both now and into the future; and what more should or could be done to raise professionalism amongst private landlords.
	The review will also consider security of tenure when exploring whether more needs to be done to improve the experiences of both landlords and tenants in the sector in relation to their rights and responsibilities.

Retail Trade: Planning Permission

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Competition Commission on planning policy for retail developments.

Iain Wright: Neither the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government or I have had discussions with the Competition Commission. However, Communities and Local Government officials attended two hearings with the Commission to discuss the Government's planning policy, the operation of the planning system in England and its programme of reforms to inform the preparation of the Commission's final report on its UK groceries market investigation.

Schools: Planning Permission

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications to build  (a) maintained and  (b) independent schools were made in each of the last five years; how many of those have been approved; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today, (PQ 206233).

Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes from the meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling which met on 25 July.

Caroline Flint: A copy of these minutes has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes from the meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling on 25 July 2007.

Caroline Flint: A copy of these minutes has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling: Public Appointments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2007,  Official Report, column 667W, on Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling: public appointments, if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes of each of the meetings of the Panel since its establishment.

Caroline Flint: A copy of the minutes to the meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling held on 25 July 2007 has been deposited in the Library of the House. All subsequent meetings were held under the Chatham House Rule and no final minutes were produced for these.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities are providing funding for the non-emergency 101 telephone number following the end of her Department's funding.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office is continuing to provide funding for the national telephony infrastructure to enable partnerships to continue to use the 101 number.
	101 continues to operate in Cardiff, Sheffield and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. A pilot is also running in two London boroughs, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham.
	Sheffield city council, Cardiff council, Hampshire county council, the Greater London authority, and the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham are contributing funding to these services.

101 Calls: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effect of the use of non emergency 101 numbers in the South Wales Police area; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: h olding answer 1 May 2008
	The South Wales 101 operation was assessed as part of the overall 101 pilot evaluation completed in 2007.
	The evaluation of the five pilot areas found that the 101 service had successfully improved public access to and satisfaction in the community safety services. Through greater partnership working and better information from the public about what problems are happening where, the 101 service had helped local police and councils to target their resources more effectively and efficiently and improve the delivery of those services to the public.

Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget for the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure is in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure is funded from the Single Intelligence Account (SIA) which carries the budget provision for all three security and intelligence agencies (the Security Service, SIS and GCHQ). Detailed breakdowns showing the division of funding between the three agencies are not published for security reasons.

Community Policing: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community police officers there are in Halifax.

Tony McNulty: Police strength data are collected at the Basic Command Unit (BCU) and the force level only. Halifax falls within the boundary of the Calderdale BCU.
	There were 44 full-time equivalent police community support officers in the Calderdale BCU of West Yorkshire police as at 31 March 2007.

Counter-Terrorism Bill

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the advice she has received on the compatibility of the provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Bill with  (a) race relations legislation and  (b) the Human Rights Act 1998; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We are confident that our proposals in the Counter-Terrorism Bill are compatible with the ECHR and will not operate in any way that is unlawfully discriminatory. The powers within terrorism legislation are not aimed at those of a particular race, religion, or at any other group. They are aimed at terrorists, whatever background or section of society they may come from. The new provisions on pre-charge detention will apply to anyone arrested while the powers are availableregardless of their nationality, race or religion etc. The Secretary of State has published a Race and Equality Impact Assessment to go alongside the Bill and has set out in the explanatory notes to the Bill the basis on which she considers the Bill's provisions to be compatible with the ECHR.

Crime: Young People

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent, and on what projects, in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) Chelmsford Local Authority area to deter youths from committing crimes in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 20 May 2008
	Information on the specific projects and spending for projects to deter youth offending in West Chelmsford constituency and Chelmsford local authority area are not held centrally in the Home Office.
	The Essex Youth Offending Service (YOS) is the main vehicle for providing these prevention services to Chelmsford. The Essex YOS uses early intervention programmes to prevent young people from entering the youth justice system. These interventions are specifically funded by the Youth Justice Board until March 2011 to work with children and young people aged between eight and 13 years who have been identified by at least two agencies as presenting an increased risk of offending.
	Essex YOS have estimated the total spend on these activities from 2005 forecast through to 2009.
	
		
			   Total spend () 
			 2005-06 14,340 
			 2006-07 39,032 
			 2007-08 39,419 
			 2008-09 39,419 
		
	
	The total costs provide a project worker and manager, a senior practitioner, a parenting coordinator and parenting assistant.
	In addition to this prevention work by Essex YOS there are also various other agencies who within their remit contribute towards prevention work for young people in the Chelmsford area, such as: Chelmsford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), Chelmsford council, Essex police, Essex county council and some voluntary sector agencies. The Home Office and Essex YOS do not hold the information on their spending.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in her Department since 1997.

Tony McNulty: 1,366 statutory instruments have been made by the Home Office in the period from the beginning of January 1998 until the end of April 2008.
	No central record is kept of the number of statutory instruments which have been revoked; the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fingerprints

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recognised methods of taking fingerprints there are; and what assessment she has made of the use of each of those methods for the purposes of matching marks from scenes of crime.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 April 2008
	There are two methods employed to take arrestee fingerprints in the United Kingdom. The traditional method is a 'wet set'. This is an ink and paper method whereby a brass plated block is inked and the subject's fingers placed in that ink and then rolled and pressed into the designated areas of a paper form known as a 'tenprint' form. Palm prints can also be recorded in a similar fashion by police personnel at a police station. The resultant tenprint set (finger and palm) is forwarded to the local fingerprint bureau for scanning and processing the IDENT1 system.
	The more widely used method (around 80 per cent.) uses digital imaging technology, known as 'Livescan'. This allows an operator to capture all 10 fingers as both rolled and plain impressions, and palm prints, directly from an individual's hands, electronically, without the use of ink.
	The operator places the subject's hand or individual fingers directly onto a camera platen that scans the fingerprints, producing digital images. The images are then processed and immediate feedback is presented to the operator. Livescan allows the operator to capture images again to meet the required standard.
	The digital images are streamed into the local fingerprint bureau and the images printed using a laser printer as a representation of the traditional paper tenprint form.
	There are one or more Livescan units at all major custody centres. Livescan is integrated with IDENT1.
	Crime scene marks are developed by a variety of methods as outlined in the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) Fingerprint Development Handbook and the resultant developed marks can also be scanned into IDENT1 or captured via a digital camera and entered into the IDENT1 system.

Fraud: Elections

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue advice to chief constables on the priority they should attach to investigating allegations of electoral fraud and malpractice.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for chief constables.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers and the Electoral Commission have published guidance on preventing and detecting electoral malpractice throughout England and Wales.

Health Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department provides health or social care services out of public funds, with reference to the Statement by the Minister of State, Department of Health, in the Health and Social Care Bill Committee, of 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 327.

Tony McNulty: The code of practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers (Code C) issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 places a requirement on the custody officer to determine whether a detainee is in need of medical treatment. The cost of meeting medical treatment or attention at the police station is met from public funds.
	The UK Border Agency currently pays out of public funds for the provision of health and social care services to individuals detained under Immigration Act powers in contracted-out immigration removal centres established under section 149 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Internet

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the website www.ipcc.gov.uk in each month since its inception; what the budget for the website is for 2008-09; how many staff are employed to maintain the website; and how many unique visitors there were to the website in each month since its inception.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Kidnapping: Children

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the availability of International Child Abduction and Contact Unit information leaflets in police stations; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 May 2008
	The issue of International Child Abduction and Contact Unit information leaflets in police stations is a matter for individual police forces.

Migration: Statistics

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to use data held by local authorities to improve migration statistics.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking whether data held by local authorities will be used to improve migration statistics. (206840)
	Over the last 3 years the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has conducted a series of studies with Local Authorities to investigate the possibility of using local data to improve official population and migration estimates. The final report of these studies was published in February 2008. Its recommendations are being taken forward as part of the wider cross government programme of work to improve population and migration statistics, the principle purpose of which is to take forward the recommendations of the 2006 Interdepartmental Task Force on Migration Statistics.
	On 4 February 2008, the Minister for Local Government announced to the House that this cross-Government programme would be put in place, driven by senior officials from central Government and the Local Government Association, and led by the National Statistician. The involvement of the Local Government Association will provide Local Authority representation in this extensive work programme and ensure an appropriate focus on the use of local data.
	ONS is keen to engage with local authorities throughout the development of the improvements and is holding a workshop jointly with the LGA on 23 May to seek views on the programme.
	In addition, ONS discusses the methods and data sources used to produce population statistics with local authority representatives who are members of the population statistics subgroup that exists under the aegis of the Central and Local government Information sharing Partnership liaison arrangements.

Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of reports of missing persons involved co-operation between different police forces in the last financial year.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 April 2008
	The number of cases of reports of missing persons which involved co-operation between different police forces in the last financial year are not collected centrally and are a matter for individual police forces.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1084W, on missing persons, what progress has been made by the Government via the National Policing Improvement Agency's Missing Persons Bureau in identifying best practice in capturing, recording and sharing data relating to missing persons; how much has been allocated to this initiative for 2008-09; and what the timetable is for completion of a national system for storage and retrieval of data on persons reported missing.

Tony McNulty: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) launched the Missing Persons Bureau (MPB) on the 1 April 2008.
	The requesting of national data from police forces will be subject to the requirement laid out in the NPIA's developing strategic assessment work with police forces and stakeholders, which is yet to be finalised and circulated for consultation. The classification of these data will again be dependent on the developing requirement of the strategic assessment.
	At present, there is no national requirement for police forces to use electronic management systems or to provide the MPB with their data so that the MPB can incorporate them into their national database of missing persons. The MPB is working to develop a comprehensive set of data on missing persons.
	The MPB is using the same electronic case management system as the charity Missing People. Work is in progress by the software manufacturer to enable electronic sharing of data between the MPB and the charity. Work is also in progress to enable electronic data transfer from police forces to the MPB.
	Current guidance advises the transfer of information to the MPB within 14 days of a person going missing. Proposed changes to the guidance are likely to advise the transfer of information to the MPB within 24 hours for very high risk; 72 hours for high/medium risk; and seven days for low risk missing people, where this transfer can be done by automatic electronic means.
	The MPB's existing budget has been established to incorporate this element of work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2008.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 29th April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons: databases, what information, relating to reports of missing persons, police officers are required to enter onto the Police National Computer within 48 hours of such reports being made under the national guidance on the management, recording and investigation of missing persons.

Tony McNulty: Guidance on the details that are recorded on the police national computer (PNC) for missing persons are outlined in the ACPO guidance on the recording, management and investigations of missing persons, produced in 2005. The rules for recording information on the PNC are set out in the National Policing Improvement Agency's PNC user manual.
	The name and basic descriptive information for the individual should be entered under the 'wanted/missing' category to identify that they are missing and should be entered onto the PNC as soon as possible and at least within 48 hours of the person's disappearance. Basic descriptive details for unidentified persons or bodies should be entered under the 'wanted/missing' category as a found report using 'information' as the surname. Basic descriptive information encompasses details such as: date of birth, gender, ethnicity, height, build, hair colour, shoe size and so on, where these are known.
	The PNC is an operational police database which holds details of those persons currently listed as recorded missing by the police and details of unidentified persons found by the police. As soon as an individual is located or identified, the PNC record is either suitably updated to show the current status or deleted by the police.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons: databases, which of the police force databases for the management and recording of missing persons data referred to in the answer  (a) can and  (b) cannot share information electronically in real time with (i) the National Policing Improvement Agency's Missing Persons Bureau and (ii) the Police National Computer.

Tony McNulty: None of the police forces' missing persons databases can share information electronically in real time with the Missing Persons Bureau's (MPB) database. In order to determine which of the police forces' missing persons databases can share information electronically in real time with the Police National Computer (PNC), it would be necessary to contact each individual police force.
	The PNC is a live system accessible by all police forces 24 hours a day, which enables them to share information relating to missing persons.
	The MPB is working together with information technology system providers towards developing a technical solution, so that information on missing persons cases held on police forces' systems can be electronically transferred onto the MPB's database. However, there is no requirement for sharing data in real time as the MPB only currently accepts cases to work on after 14 days, thus negating the need for real time updates.
	At present there is no national requirement for police forces to use electronic management systems or for them to share information with national systems.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons: databases, what recent assessment  (a) she has and  (b) chief police officers have made of the performance of police forces in England and Wales against the requirement in the national guidance on the management, recording and investigation of missing persons that details of such persons reported to the police should be recorded on the Police National Computer within 48 hours; and what mechanisms are in place to (i) encourage and (ii) audit performance against this requirement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 May 2008
	The mechanisms in place to encourage forces to record data on to the police national computer (PNC) are the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidance on the management, recording and investigation of missing persons in combination with the rules for recording missing and found persons as set out in the National Policing Improvement Agency's PNC User Manual.
	Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary (HMIC) reviewed all of the police forces' compliance with investigating missing persons, in October 2007. This review focused on the processes and systems that were in place to investigate and supervise missing persons investigations. In this review, out of the 43 police forces, one force was graded as excellent, 21 were graded as good and 21 were graded as fair, meaning that they meet the required standard.
	HMIC do not carry out an inspection on missing persons data held within PNC but they do audit forces to ensure that forces have their own audit procedures in place and comply with the rules set out in the PNC manual.
	Police forces all have an internal review where they audit the information placed on to PNC, and the missing persons data held on PNC would form part of that.
	When HMIC do carry out inspections of forces, they also make sure that they comply with the ACPO Data Protection Audit Manual.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons: databases, what  (a) steps would be required and  (b) costs would be incurred for the data on missing persons captured by the Police National Computer to be extracted to provide national figures on missing persons.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 May 2008
	The police national computer (PNC) is an operational police database which is not designed to disseminate statistical information of this nature. The PNC does hold details of those persons currently listed as recorded missing by the police, however, as soon as an individual is located, the PNC record is deleted.
	The Missing Persons Bureau is looking separately at how best to collate statistics on missing persons.

Missing Persons: Databases

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons: databases, which of the police force databases for the management and recording of missing persons data referred to in the answer can share information electronically in real time with each other such database listed in the answer.

Tony McNulty: The information technology systems used by Dyfed-Powys police and Gwent police are able to share missing persons information with each other.
	The 20 police forces that have the community policing and case tracking (COMPACT) computer system all have the facility to export data to each other, should a missing persons investigation move locations.
	At present there is no national requirement for police forces to use electronic management systems or for their systems to share information with one another.
	The Police National Computer is a live system accessible by all police forces 24 hours a day, which enables them to share information relating to missing persons. The Police National Database (PND), being delivered by the National Policing Improvement Agency-led IMPACT programme, will provide a capability for all police forces to electronically share information from their main local systems with each other. The programme is in the process of asking forces for details of what sort of information from which police force systems they plan to provide to the PND. Deployment of the PND is scheduled to commence in 2010.

Missing Persons: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people between the ages of 16 and 27 years were reported as missing in 2007 in Wirral West constituency.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Merseyside police.

Missing Persons: Young People

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 346W, on missing persons: young people, 
	(1)  if she will request from each police force the number of people reported to that force as missing in 2007;
	(2)  if she will request from each police force the number of people reported to that force as missing in 2007 who were  (a) classified as a vulnerable adult,  (b) aged (i) between 18 and 16, (ii) 15 and 12 and (iii) under 12 years of age,  (c) in care and  (d) disabled.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 May 2008
	 The Missing Persons Bureau (MPB) is currently making an assessment of the current status of the issue of missing persons in conjunction with its partners and stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group.
	At present, there is no national requirement for forces to provide these data, or use electronic management systems. The requisition of data from all police forces is subject to the requirement set out in the National Policing Improvement Agency's developing strategic assessment work with forces and stakeholders, which is yet to be finalised and circulated for consultation.
	The MPB has requested the number of missing persons records from all United Kingdom police forces for 2007 split by age and gender. The majority of police forces in the United Kingdom have some sort of electronic system to manage their missing persons cases, however, many of these systems are designed specifically for case management recording and do not have integral statistical packages.

Missing Persons: Young People

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on missing persons database, if she will request from each police force the number of children and young people reported missing to the police  (a) under the age of 16 and  (b) aged 17 and 18 years, broken down by local authority area.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 16 May 2008
	The Missing Persons Bureau (MPB) is currently making an assessment of the current status of the issue of missing persons in conjunction with its partners and stakeholders, including the Missing People charity and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group.
	At present, there is no national requirement for forces to provide these data, or use electronic management systems. The requisition of data from all police forces is subject to the requirement set out in the National Policing Improvement Agency's developing strategic assessment work with forces and stakeholders, which is yet to be finalised and circulated for consultation.
	The MPB has requested the number of missing persons records from all United Kingdom police forces for 2007 split by age and gender. Data broken down by local authority area are not available, as police force boundaries are not all coterminous with local authority boundaries. The majority of police forces in the United Kingdom have electronic systems to manage their missing persons cases. However, many of these systems are designed specifically for case management recording and do not have integral statistical packages.

North Wales Police: Manpower

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed by North Wales Police on 1st April in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 7 May 2008
	The data requested are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength, England and Wales and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  for North Wales police as at  31 March 1997 to 2007 
			  As at 31 March  Police force 
			 1997 1,369 
			 1998 1,396 
			 1999 1,391 
			 2000 1,403 
			 2001 1,444 
			 2002 1,506 
			 2003(3) 1,539 
			 2004(3) 1,603 
			 2005(3) 1,652 
			 2006(3) 1,617 
			 2007(3) 1,591 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2 )Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison.

Offensive Weapons: Schools

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the police exercised their right of entry and search for weapons under section 139B of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 relating to schools and persons on school premises in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007, broken down by police force area.

Tony McNulty: The stops and searches collection held by the Ministry of Justice covers the main stop and search powers within Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and counts the number of searches undertaken. The number of times the police exercise their right of entry and the number of searches under section 139B of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 are not identified by the collection.

Pakistan

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcomes of her recent visit to Pakistan were; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 7 May 2008
	My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary visited Pakistan from 7 to 8 April. She had bilateral talks with Prime Minister Yusuf Gillani, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Information Minister, Sherry Rahman. She also delivered a keynote speech at the Pakistan National Council of Arts on counter-terrorism, met UK Borders Agency staff serving overseas and was briefed on the British high commission's programme to tackle forced marriage.
	On counter-terrorism issues we agreed to an early meeting of our Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime and a joint workshop on extremism to be held in Pakistan. On migration issues, Pakistan agreed to continue to honour our bilateral MOU on returns to remove those persons already in the United Kingdom, once the European Community Readmission Agreement is signed. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has also invited Interior Adviser Malik to visit the UK later this year.

Passengers: Surveys

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to increase the size of the sample in the International Passenger Survey.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question on plans to increase the size of the sample in the International Passenger Survey. (206839)
	The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a multi-purpose survey which collects information from a quarter of a million passengers each year, as they enter or leave the UK. It is used for balance of payments, tourism and migration statistics. ONS has focused on whether the size of the migrant sub-sample is adequate.
	Less than 1% of all travellers are long-term international migrants and the migrant sub-sample is much smaller than the total number of IPS interviews. In order to boost the size of the migrant sub-sample, additional sampling is conducted at selected ports. The 2006 inter-departmental Task Force into migration statistics included recommendations to improve the coverage of migrants in a port survey, particularly of emigrants. The number of emigrants sampled was increased with immediate effect, from 2007. ONS also immediately undertook a Port Survey Review (PSR) to investigate options for taking forward these particular recommendations.
	An interim report of the PSR was published in October 2007 and is available on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/methodology/specific/population/future/imps/updates/downloads/PSREVIEW.pdf
	A primary aim in the short-term is to deliver better migration data from a redesigned port survey while continuing to meet other statistical requirements. With this aim in mind, steps have been taken to increase the sample size from April 2008 by implementing new migration sampling at Manchester, Stansted and Luton and by introducing new IPS samples, or adding to existing samples at several other regional airports.
	In the longer-term ONS is looking at more radical options for redesigning the port survey. It is expected that the number of migrant interviews on which estimates are based will be increased in a redesigned port survey.
	A progress report on the PSR, to be published in the summer, will provide further details.

Police National Computer: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to detect careless and abusive disclosures from the Police National Computer.

Tony McNulty: The detection and prevention of unlawful disclosure from the Police National Computer (PNC) is a matter for individual police forces and other criminal justice agencies with access to PNC data. All organisations with access to PNC data are bound by the Data Protection Act 1998; controls specified in the Risk Management Accreditation Document Set for the PNC; and their own internal security procedures.

Police National Missing Persons Bureau

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the Police National Missing Persons Bureau.

Tony McNulty: The Missing Persons Bureau took over responsibility from the Metropolitan Police Service's Police National Missing Persons Bureau on 1 April 2008. It is not yet possible to assess its operational effectiveness in its new capacity.
	A review of the former Police National Missing Persons Bureau carried out by Perry Nove was completed in 2005. As a result of the review, a strategic oversight group, chaired by the Association of Chief Police Officers, has been created with responsibility for the direction and co-ordination of the response to the issue of missing persons.

Police: Airports

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of policing each airport was in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: There are currently nine airports designated under the Aviation Security Act 1982 for policing purposesLondon Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, Prestwick, Aberdeen, Manchester and Birmingham. At these airports the airport operator is required to meet the costs of the agreed uniformed police presence. At non-designated airports, they either have a dedicated uniformed police presence or the police attend when there is an operational need to do so. These costs are funded wholly or partly by the police authority in which that airport is located, or by other means, for example, voluntary contributions by the airport operator. The cost of uniformed police officers at each airport is therefore not held centrally.
	The Home Office Dedicated Security Posts (DSP) Grant provides the central contribution to the policing costs for of specific security functions, including the Special Branch presence at ports. The grants paid to police forces towards the costs of funding their Special Branch officers at ports in financial years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 were 70.6 million, 71.4 million and 72.6 million respectively. Figures prior to these dates were not compiled in the same way and it is therefore not possible to provide data in a comparable form.
	The allocation of the DSP grant by airport is not disclosed since to do so could prejudice border security by revealing how Special Branch officers are deployed for counter terrorism purposes. Moreover, chief constables are responsible for the deployment of Special Branch officers at airports within their force area, and deployment patterns may change during the year for operational reasons.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average proportion of police officers' time spent on patrol per day in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 10 December 2007,  Official  Report, column 91W.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of time on average  (a) all police officers and  (b) patrol officers spent on (i) incident-related paperwork, (ii) non-incident related paperwork, (iii) all paperwork and (iv) on patrol in each year since 2003-04.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Review of Policing, published in February this year, addressed the issue of police-related bureaucracy. The review made a number of recommendations on this subject, including a review of police operational codes of practice, the expansion of mobile data, a more in-depth analysis of risk (and how this in turn may impact on bureaucratic tendencies in the service), and the further streamlining of criminal justice processes. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has endorsed Sir Ronnie's report and expects his recommendations to form the next drive against unnecessary bureaucracy in the police service.

Police: Databases

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crime scene marks are outstanding on police databases.

Tony McNulty: As at 25 April 2008, the IDENT1 database contained 1, 696,286 unidentified crime scene marksthese being a combination of palm and finger marks. This represents the accumulation of such marks over the years from the various systems that migrated into NAFIS in 1999, which was then superseded by IDENT1 in 2005.

Police: Dismissal

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) male and  (b) female police officers of each age group (i) resigned and (ii) were dismissed by Essex police in each year since 1997; and for what reasons in each case.

Tony McNulty: The requested data on age breakdowns and reasons for resignation/dismissal are not collected centrally. The available data have been collected since 2002-03 and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer leavers (FTE)( 1)  for Essex police force from 2002-03 to 2006-07( 2) 
			   Resignations  Dismissals 
			   Female  Male  Female  Male 
			 2002-03(3) 3 9 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 13 23 1 2 
			 2004-05 16 50 1 1 
			 2005-06 17 62 1 8 
			 2006-07 18 63 0 5 
			 n/a = data not available (1) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. Data have not previously been previously published in this format therefore totals may not match totals found in the published data. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Comparable data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Excludes quarters 1, 2 and 3, data not available.

Police: Early Retirement

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in Essex constabulary of each sex took early retirement in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is a matter for the Essex constabulary.

Police: Expenditure

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1065-66W, on police: expenditure, if she will update the information in the Answer with the most recent figures.

Tony McNulty: The answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1065-66W contains the most current data available.

Police: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with HM Treasury on the use of activity-based costing data to determine police grant funding levels; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary holds discussions with HM Treasury on a range of police issues.

Police: Manpower

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by North Wales police in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007, broken down by function.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 6 May 2008
	The data requested are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength, England and Wales and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police Service strength (FTE)( 1)  for North Wales police as at  31 March 2006 and 2007 
			   31 March 2006  31 March 2007 
			 Police officers 1,634 1,608 
			 Police staff 882 759 
			 Police community support officers 58 145 
			 Designated officers 0 37 
			 Traffic wardens 2 1 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Police: Manpower

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were per 100,000 population in each police force area in each of the last five years, ranked in order of highest to lowest ratio.

Tony McNulty: The available data are taken from the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength, England and Wales and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officers( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  per 100.000 of the population for by police force, as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2007 
			  Police force  31 March 2003  31 March 2004  31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007 
			 Metropolitan Police(3) 404 420 417 417 426 
			 West Midlands 307 311 318 318 318 
			 Greater Manchester 298 323 318 318 314 
			 Merseyside 302 303 315 315 325 
			 Cleveland 294 314 308 308 315 
			 Northumbria 290 294 291 291 283 
			 Durham 281 288 288 288 285 
			 South Wales 273 275 271 271 273 
			 West Yorkshire 242 254 270 270 270 
			 Gwent 244 248 264 264 268 
			 South Yorkshire 252 261 259 259 256 
			 Cumbria 237 254 256 256 255 
			 Humberside 244 256 251 251 251 
			 Lancashire 239 252 253 253 252 
			 Nottinghamshire 239 245 243 243 235 
			 North Wales 234 243 242 242 238 
			 Leicestershire 232 246 241 241 237 
			 Dyfed-Powys 237 236 237 237 236 
			 Gloucestershire 219 229 228 228 229 
			 Kent 221 228 227 227 229 
			 Avon and Somerset 213 229 226 226 224 
			 Cheshire 217 224 223 223 225 
			 Staffordshire 212 218 219 219 219 
			 Devon and Cornwall 204 208 219 219 216 
			 Dorset 205 209 216 216 217 
			 Derbyshire 210 216 212 212 209 
			 Hampshire 208 211 211 211 215 
			 North Yorkshire 193 203 216 216 217 
			 Bedfordshire 198 210 213 213 207 
			 Sussex 203 206 207 207 205 
			 Hertfordshire 191 204 208 208 210 
			 West Mercia 196 202 202 202 205 
			 Northamptonshire 194 198 207 207 200 
			 Warwickshire 198 197 198 198 199 
			 Essex 186 192 203 203 203 
			 Thames Valley 186 195 202 202 199 
			 Cambridgeshire 196 197 196 196 187 
			 Wiltshire 190 198 196 196 192 
			 Suffolk 188 196 191 191 196 
			 Norfolk 189 190 193 193 191 
			 Lincolnshire 191 189 183 183 183 
			 Surrey 182 183 184 184 183 
			 London, City of(3) * * * * * 
			 1 This table is based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Figures up to 31 March 2002 exclude staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. The figures for 31 March 2003 onwards figures include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3. Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined.

Police: Recruitment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) men and  (b) women were recruited by Essex Police in each year since 1997, broken down by age.

Tony McNulty: The requested data on age breakdowns are not collected centrally. The available data have been collected since 2002-03 and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer female and male Recruits( 1)  to Essex police from 2002-03 to 2006-07( 2)  (FTE)( 3) 
			   Female recruit  Male recruit 
			 2002-03(4) 10 30 
			 2003-04 83 142 
			 2004-05 84 192 
			 2005-06 76 148 
			 2006-07 121 185 
			 (1 )Recruits included those officers joining as police standard direct recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. (2 )Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Comparable data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between total and the sums of the constituent items. (4 )Excludes quarters 1, 2, and 3 data not available.

Police: Uniforms

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) stab-proof and  (b) gun-proof vests are available per (i) police officer and (ii) full-time equivalent police officer in each police force area.

Tony McNulty: Decisions about the selection, purchase and issue of body armour are matters for individual chief officers of police.

Police: Weapons

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to police forces on the procedures and protocols to be followed by police officers in the use of incapacitant spray; and what codes of practice are in force.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 May 2008
	The Association of Chief Police Officers issued guidance on the use of incapacitant spray in September 2006 providing police officers and other police staff with an overarching, generic approach to the use of incapacitant spray to underpin the specific training provided to all staff issued with incapacitant spray. The code of practice for police use of firearms and less lethal weapons issued in 2003 applies to incapacitant sprays as any other less lethal weapon.
	The Home Office Scientific Development Branch also issues a technical standard for CS and PAVA sprays for operational police use to ensure incapacitant sprays supplied to the police are manufactured to a consistent standard and are designed to meet operational requirements. The standard was last updated in 2005 and will be updated again in 2008.

Proscribed Organisations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislation to outlaw Hizbullah in the United Kingdom; what recent representations she has received on the issue; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Hezbollah External Security Organisation was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK in February 2001.
	The consequence of proscription is that specific criminal offences apply in relation to the Hezbollah External Security Organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. These include membership of the organisation, support for the organisation and wearing clothes or displaying articles arousing reasonable suspicion as to membership of the organisation. Further general criminal offences exist under the Terrorism Act 2000 in relation to fundraising and various uses of money or property for the purposes of terrorism.

Prostitution

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested and  (b) successfully prosecuted for (i) kerb-crawling and (ii) running a brothel in each police authority area in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested regarding arrests is not collected centrally. The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. robbery, burglary, sexual offences etc. From data reported centrally we are not able to identify the specific offences from within the main sexual offences group.
	The information regarding successful prosecutions for the offences of 'kerb crawling' and 'brothel keeping' is provided in the table. The figures for brothel keeping encompass the full range of related offences. There are eight such offences, including: 'keeping a brothel'; 'letting premises for use as a brothel'; and 'tenant permitting premises to be used for prostitution'.
	The figures provided relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for 'brothel keeping' and 'kerb crawling' offences, by police force area, England and Wales 1997-2006( 1, 2) 
			   Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			   Brothel Keeping   
			 107 Avon and Somerset 1  
			  Cheshire  2 
			  City of London 1  
			  Cleveland   3 2   
			  Devon and Cornwall   1   1 
			  Dorset 3 3 
			  Essex5   
			  Gloucestershire 1 1 
			  Greater Manchester 1 1 3  1  
			  Hampshire 1  4 1  3 2 3 2 1 
			  Hertfordshire 1   1   
			  Humberside   
			  Lancashire 1  1 1 1  
			  Leicestershire   1   1 
			  Merseyside 4 1 4 2   1  1  
			  Metropolitan Police 9 2 3 22 2 4 
			  North Yorkshire1 1  
			  Northamptonshire   1
			  Northumbria2   
			  Nottinghamshire  1 
			  South Yorkshire 1   3   
			  Staffordshire 2 1 
			  Surrey  1 
			  Thames Valley1 1  
			  West Mercia 1   1 2  
			  West Midlands 2 3 2 1  2  1   
			  West Yorkshire 1 1 3  1 1 1   4 
			  Wiltshire  1 
			  DyfedPowys  1 
			  Gwent  1 2
			  North Wales  1 5
			  South Wales 11 1 
			  England and Wales 26 13 33 14 7 8 4 15 11 18 
			 
			   Kerb Crawling   
			 165 Avon and Somerset 20 2 1  1 9 2 2 1 7 
			  Bedfordshire 1 1 1 1 6 2 5  1 1 
			  Cambridgeshire 1  
			  City of London  7 1
			  Cleveland 10 46 109 214 154 137 152 202 109 62 
			  Derbyshire 1   6 32 29 16 8 16 6 
			  Devon and Cornwall 13  
			  Dorset 17 9 4 8 10 4 4   13 
			  Essex 27 16 10 30 10 3 1  1  
			  Greater Manchester 86 54 12 61 35 22 19 22 8 8 
			  Hampshire 9 3 10 15 10 12 8 6 7 8 
			  Humberside 1  1   1 
			  Kent   2 1 6 5  3  5 
			  Lancashire 1 2  1  9 5 4 2  
			  Leicestershire 8 10 2  4 16 1 1   
			  Merseyside 7 2  2 34 1   5 7 
			  Metropolitan Police 303 311 301 264 294 348 339 377 288 259 
			  Norfolk 68 37 17 6 2  2   1 
			  Northamptonshire 12 8 28 29 42 45 
			  Nottinghamshire 56 65 45 25 46 17 6 8 16 12 
			  South Yorkshire 9 2 1 4 31 39 45 7 8 2 
			  Staffordshire 17 4 1  10 29 14 15 14 2 
			  Suffolk1 5 1 
			  Thames Valley  1 3 6   
			  Warwickshire  1 
			  West Mercia1   
			  West Midlands 104 93 44 42 49 72 67 39 66 52 
			  West Yorkshire 60 35 36 19 26 116 113 26 45 41 
			  Wiltshire 2 3 1   1 2 3   
			  South Wales 4 4 1 1  3 1  1  
			  England and Wales 813 700 599 700 775 891 834 760 635 532 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Note:  Where a police force area does not appear in the table there have been no convictions within that area for kerb crawling or brothel keeping.  Source:  Court proceedings databaseOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of justice.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances have been reported to her Department of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 powers being used for cases unrelated to terrorism or serious crime.

Tony McNulty: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 covers a number of different covert investigatory powers used by a broad spectrum of public bodies for a variety of purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, Secretary of State authorisation of intrusive techniques by intelligence and law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and serious crime. In instances where Secretary of State authorisation is not requiredsuch as the police use of informants, local council use of telephone billing records or regulatory body use of surveillancethere is no requirement to report the exercise of these powers to the Secretary of State. Authorisation of all these powers is subject to regular inspection by the Interception of Communications Commissioner and the Chief Surveillance Commissioner who publish annual reports on their findings. The most recent publications have been placed in the Library.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in relation to terrorist cases.

Tony McNulty: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ('RIPA') introduced for the first time a regulatory framework for the use by public bodies of the covert investigative techniques necessary for carrying out their statutory functions. RIPA requires that authorisation of covert investigatory techniques is consistent with ECHR Article 8 principles, relating to the necessity and proportionality of their use in each case. It also establishes safeguards such as independent Commissioners to oversee the use by public bodies of covert investigatory techniques, and an independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal to investigate complaints. The Security and Intelligence Agencies and the Law Enforcement Agencies comply with the requirements of the Act in all investigations requiring the use of covert investigatory techniques, including terrorist investigations.

Stop and Search

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had their vehicle stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since 2000; and how many of those were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of (i) a notifiable offence and (ii) a terrorism-related offence in (A) each police force area and (B) England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: The stops and search statistical collection, held by the Ministry of Justice, identifies vehicles and occupants searched under s44(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000. The information is not linked with details of any subsequent prosecutions and convictions. The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Searches of vehicles( 1)  under section 44(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000, by police force area, from 2001-02 to 2005-06, England and Wales 
			  Police force area  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 2)  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset   
			 Bedfordshire   
			 Cambridgeshire1  1 
			 Cheshire 7 5865 
			 Cleveland   
			 Cumbria   
			 Derbyshire 5 5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2  2   4 
			 Dorset   
			 Durham 235 235 
			 Essex   4 124 148 276 
			 Gloucestershire 4 4 1   9 
			 Greater Manchester  89 37 235  361 
			 Hampshire  2 17 35 67 121 
			 Hertfordshire 3 3 
			 Humberside   
			 Kent  88 
			 Lancashire   
			 Leicestershire 1 34 
			 Lincolnshire   
			 London, City of 1 42 24 21 210 298 
			 Merseyside   
			 Metropolitan Police 1,108 10,198 4,157 3,038 4,815 23,316 
			 Norfolk  22 
			 Northamptonshire   
			 Northumbria40  40 
			 North Yorkshire3 2 5 
			 Nottinghamshire   
			 South Yorkshire 205 105310 
			 Staffordshire   
			 Suffolk  11 
			 Surrey  8 1 5  14 
			 Sussex 64 32 10 59  165 
			 Thames Valley   3 1 1 5 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 
			 West Mercia   
			 West Midlands   
			 West Yorkshire   
			 Wiltshire   
			 Dyfed Powys   
			 Gwent 2 2 
			 North Wales   1   1 
			 South Wales   139 231 258 628 
			
			 England and Wales 1,635 10,552 4,396 3,793 5,504 25,880 
			 (1) Searches may be conducted on vehicles only, occupants only, or both may be searched. Where a vehicle and driver occupier are searched simultaneously the search is recorded against the driver (occupant). Any other passengers searched are recorded as occupants. Data given in the table are where a vehicle only has been searched. (2) Figures have been updated following publication of the bulletin for 2004-05.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Stop and Search

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2066W, on stop and search, if she will place in the Library the most recent information on  (a) the number of stops and searches conducted (i) in total and (ii) per 1,000 population and  (b) the percentages which resulted in arrest (A) in England and Wales and (B) in each police force area.

Tony McNulty: The most recent information available held by the Ministry of Justice remains data for 2005-06. Data for 2006-07 will be published later this year.

Stop and Search

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Answer of 16th October 2007,  Official Report, column 983W, on stop and search, what the ethnicity was of each person stopped under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2004-05.

Tony McNulty: Information on the breakdown by ethnicity of persons stopped under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is provided in the following table. Statistics are published by the Home Office under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, and can be found on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pubsstatistical.html and the Ministry of Justice website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/raceandcjs.htm
	
		
			  Searches of vehicles( 1)  and occupants, and pedestrians under Section 44(1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 2) , England and Wales 2001-02 to 2004-05 
			   Ethnicity 
			   White  Black  Asian  Other  Not recorded  Total 
			 2001-02 6,629 529 744 358 260 8,520 
			 2002-03 14,429 1,745 2,989 1,259 l,155 21,577 
			 2003-04 20,600 2.701 3,659 1,324 1,099 29,383 
			 2004-05 24,771 2,742 3,693 l,428 543 33,177 
			 2005-06 30,837 4,155 6,805 1,937 809 44,543 
			 (1 )Searches may be conducted on vehicles only, occupants only or both may be searched. Where a vehicle and driver occupier are searched simultaneously the search is recorded against the driver (occupant). Any other passengers searched are recorded as occupants. These figures exclude searches of vehicles only. (2 )The Terrorism Act 2000 came into force on 19 February 2001.  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Surveillance: Local Authorities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of each inspection report produced by surveillance inspectors of the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners relating to local authority activities in the last 12 months;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the form that local authorities must complete to be authorised to conduct a directed surveillance operation;
	(3)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance given to local authorities by  (a) her Department and  (b) the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners on surveillance;
	(4)  how many local authorities are authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to undertake surveillance; and for what purposes;
	(5)  if she will make a statement on the appropriateness of local authorities undertaking surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in relation to whether families live in school catchment areas.

Tony McNulty: The Office of Surveillance Commissioners is independent of Government and it is a matter for them whether to publish their inspection reports on individual local authorities. There are no plans currently to do so. However, the annual reports of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner are published and copies are in the Library.
	The most recent version of the form available to local authorities for the authorisation of directed surveillance is available together with other standard forms applicable to covert investigation on the Home Office security website. The Home Office security website and the website of the Office of Surveillance Commissioners contain copies of the relevant codes of practice and other guidance to local authorities, including the annual reports of the Office of Surveillance Commissioners. The websites can be accessed at the following addresses:
	http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk; and
	http://www.surveillancecommissioners.gov.uk
	There are 468 primary councils, excluding parish and community councils, which are able to authorise directed surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. That Act specifies that they are able to use directed surveillance for the purpose of preventing or of detecting crime or disorder and this includes fraud. The powers are used in the exercise of their regulatory responsibilities in such areas as investigating trading standards, housing and planning matters, benefit fraud and education services.
	It would be unhelpful to comment on specific cases but, generally, determining whether a family lives in a school's catchment area is a proper regulatory function that a local education authority may undertake. In deciding whether to authorise directed surveillance, the authorising officer in the local authority is required to be satisfied in each case that this is both necessary and proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by carrying it out. This will include whether the information could reasonably be obtained by any other means. Local authority use of directed surveillance powers is subject to regular inspection by the independent Office of Surveillance Commissioners. Anyone who believes that they have been unlawfully targeted by a public authority's use of covert investigatory powers can apply to the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal to investigate their claim. The Tribunal can be contacted at PO Box 33220, London SW1H 9ZQ. Its telephone number is 020 7035 3711.

Surveillance: Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many waste collection authorities are authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to undertake surveillance in relation to waste offences.

Tony McNulty: Domestic waste collection is a responsibility of local authorities. There are 468 primary councils, excluding parish and community councils, which are able to authorise directed surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or of preventing disorder in the carrying out of their responsibilities.

Telephone Tapping

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will estimate the number of times unauthorised monitoring of telephone conversations has taken place since 2005;
	(2)  how many times Ministers authorised  (a) telephone tapping and  (b) telephone tapping of solicitors' conversations with their clients in 2007;
	(3)  how many times the monitoring of solicitors' conversations with their clients has been authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the independent Interception of Communications Commissioner. The Commissioner's annual published reports on his findings are available in the Library.

Television: Telephone Services

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police plan to investigate the recent cases of television broadcaster misconduct in the use of premium rate telephone services in viewer competitions and voting; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Matters of misconduct by broadcasters is a matter for the Office of Communications (OFCOM). It is an operational matter for the police to determine whether an investigation should be conducted in response to any allegation of a criminal offence.

Touting: Tickets

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the police on policing of ticket touting at football matches.

Vernon Coaker: I have had no recent discussions with the police on the policing of ticket touting legislation at football matches. In September 2007 my officials commissioned a report from the UK football policing unit, produced in consultation with police match commanders, the findings of which reinforced policy behind the existing strategy.

Touting: Tickets

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the policing of ticket touting at football matches.

Vernon Coaker: Ticket touting in respect of regulated football matches is prohibited under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. This public order provision explicitly applies to football in view of the importance of segregation in reducing the potential for disorder between rival fans.
	The police and courts can and do enforce the legislation in a proportionate and targeted way when breaches to the segregation of supporters might result in an increased risk to public order.
	It is a decision for the match commander of each police operation as to whether it is appropriate to direct resources to deal with ticket touts. It is important not to confuse public order and commercial interests associated with ticket touting.

UK Border Agency: Wales

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 108-09W, on UK Border Agency: Wales, how many UK Borders Agency staff located in Wales are based at  (a) Pembroke Dock,  (b) Fishguard,  (c) Swansea and  (d) Holyhead.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 May 2008
	In line with my response to the hon. Member of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 463W, this information cannot be disclosed as this could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent immigration controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of immigration offences.

HEALTH

Asthma: Children

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of GP consultations with children were asthma-related in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.

Cancer: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding for research and development related to  (a) anti-cancer surgical procedures and  (b) cancer drugs the Government has provided in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 114W.
	The information requested in respect of cancer drugs is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on cancer drug research 
			   million 
			   Department  Medical Research Council 
			 2002-03 2.8 3.7 
			 2003-04 2.7 4.7 
			 2004-05 2.8 4.6 
			 2005-06 2.7 5.3 
			 2006-07 3 5.4 
		
	
	Over the last ten years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations.
	Details of individual NHS supported research projects undertaken during that time, including a number concerned with the use of drugs in the treatment of cancer, are available on the archived national research register at
	https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchiveSearch.aspx
	The departmental expenditure figures shown in the table relate only to national research programmes.

Care Homes

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in full-time  (a) residential and  (b) nursing care at the latest date for which information is available; and what proportion of people in each category were in receipt of means-tested financial support from public funds.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the residential and nursing care placements funded partially or fully by councils with adults social services responsibilities (CASSRs) is collected on the annual SR1 form and published by the Information Centre for health and social care. Data for placements not funded by CASSRs are not collected centrally.
	The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Council supported residents in permanent registered residential and nursing care by type of care( 1) , England, as at 31 March 2007 
			  Type of care  Residential  Nursing 
			 Residents aged 18 and over 163,235(2) 68,2702 
			 (1) Figures do not include residents in adult placements. (2) Rounded figures.  Source: SRI form, table one.

Colorectal Cancer

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths resulting from colorectal cancers there were in each year between 2002 and 2007 in each region; what per capita figure for the whole population this figure represents; and what five year survival rates were in each year in each region.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths resulting from colorectal cancers there were in each year between 2002 and 2007 in each region; what per capita figure for the whole population this figure represents; and what five year survival rates were in each year in each region. (206692)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths where colorectal cancer was the underlying cause of death in each English government office region by sex (table 1), and age standardised mortality rates for each English government office region by sex (table 2), for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	The latest relevant five year survival rates that are available are five year age-standardised relative survival rates by government office region, for cancer of the colon, for adult patients diagnosed during 1997-1999 and followed up to the end of 2004. These figures, and comparable figures for patients followed up to the end of 2002 and 2003, are available to download from the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991
	Five year survival rate figures are not available for colorectal (bowel) cancer or cancer of the rectum.
	
		
			  Table 1. counts of deaths where colorectal cancer was the underlying cause of death,( 1)  English government office regions, 2002-06( 2,3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Sex  Region  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Male North East 421 416 400 466 414 
			  North West 1,012 975 1,028 1,024 982 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 758 725 700 726 716 
			  East Midlands 618 665 608 612 596 
			  West Midlands 767 770 821 797 782 
			  East of England 749 759 789 750 761 
			  London 772 733 675 647 696 
			  South East 1,089 1,073 1,106 1,124 1,138 
			  South West 799 767 819 792 788 
			
			  England 6,985 6,883 6,946 6,938 6,873 
			
			 Female North East 340 328 336 324 292 
			  North West 836 815 799 858 815 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 643 612 604 576 581 
			  East Midlands 542 531 518 494 486 
			  West Midlands 632 626 636 643 647 
			  East of England 732 674 706 661 664 
			  London 696 663 721 642 653 
			  South East 1,027 1,062 1,002 1,049 1,118 
			  South West 753 708 710 739 739 
			
			  England 6,201 6,019 6,032 5,986 5,995 
			 (1) Cause of death for colorectal cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C18-C20. (2)( )Based on boundaries as of 2008. (3)( )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population( 1,2)  where colorectal cancer was the underlying cause of death,( 3)  English government office regions, 2002-06( 4,5) 
			  Rate per 100,000 population 
			2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Sex  GOR  Rate  95% CI  Rate  95% CI  Rate  95% CI  Rate  95% CI  Rate  95% CI 
			 Male North East 28 (25-30) 27 (24-30) 25 (23-28) 29 (26-31) 25 (23-27) 
			  North West 25 (24-27) 24 (23-26) 25 (24-27) 25 (23-26) 23 (22-25) 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 26 (24-28) 24 (22-26) 23 (21-24) 23 (21-25) 22 (21-24) 
			  East Midlands 24 (22-26) 25 (23-27) 23 (21-24) 22 (20-24) 21 (19-22) 
			  West Midlands 24 (22-26) 24 (22-26) 25 (24-27) 24 (22-25) 23 (21-25) 
			  East of England 22 (21-24) 22 (20-23) 22 (20-23) 21 (19-22) 20 (19-22) 
			  London 23 (21-24) 22 (20-23) 20 (18-21) 19 (17-20) 20 (18-21) 
			  South East 22 (21-23) 21 (20-22) 21 (20-23) 21 (20-23) 21 (20-23) 
			  South West 23 (22-25) 22 (20-23) 23 (21-24) 21 (20-23) 21 (19-22) 
			 
			  England 24 (23-24) 23 (22-24) 23 (22-23) 22 (22-23) 22 (21-22) 
			 
			 Female North East 15 (13-17) 14 (13-16) 14 (13-16) 14 (13-16) 13 (11-14) 
			  North West 14 (13-15) 14 (13-14) 14 (13-15) 15 (14-16) 14 (13-15) 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 15 (14-16) 14 (13-15) 13 (12-14) 13 (12-14) 13 (12-14) 
			  East Midlands 15 (14-16) 15 (14-17) 14 (13-15) 14 (12-15) 13 (12-14) 
			  West Midlands 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 13 (12-15) 
			  East of England 15 (14-16) 14 (13-15) 15 (14-16) 13 (12-14) 13 (12-14) 
			  London 14 (13-15) 13 (12-14) 15 (14-16) 13 (12-14) 13 (12-14) 
			  South East 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 14 (13-14) 14 (13-15) 15 (14-16) 
			  South West 15 (14-16) 14 (13-15) 13 (12-14) 14 (13-15) 14 (13-15) 
			  England 14 (14-15) 14 (14-14) 14 (14-14) 14 (13-14) 13 (13-14) 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Confidence intervals (CIs) are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3) Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C18-C20. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average payment was to orthodontists supplying dental braces to those under the age of 18 years by the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available; and what comparison he has made with the average payment for such private work.

Ann Keen: This information is not available. Since April 2006, primary care dentists including orthodontists are paid on the basis of the overall level of patient care they provide each year rather then on the basis of set fees for individual treatments. Primary care trusts set contract values and service level requirements locally. The levels of patient care delivered are then measured by weighting the courses of treatment provided by each dentist according to their relative complexity and whether they included the provision of any appliances including dental braces. The Department does not collect data on charges levied by dentists for private dental treatments.

Emergency Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates officials in his Department held discussions with officials in the Welsh Assembly Government on the cross-border provision of urgent care services in the last 12 months; and what the content of these discussions was.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts are responsible for ensuring the provision of high quality urgent care services. The Department has not held any discussions with Welsh Assembly officials on the cross-border provision of urgent care services in the last 12 months.

Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to make NHS services more personalised.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table summarises the recent developments to make national health service services more personalised. The Government are taking forward Lord Darzi's vision for personalised care as set out in his interim report, Our NHS, our future, copies of the interim report are available in the Library. Lord Darzi's final report will be published in the summer.
	
		
			  Policy/initiative  What's been done 
			 Choice and personalisation With effect from 1 April 2008: 
			  Most patients who are referred for elective care will be able to choose to be treated by any NHS funded providerin essence, any provider that holds a standard NHS contract. This includes NHS foundation trusts, NHS acutes and many independent sector providers and their hospitals. This is free choice; 
			  We also expect primary care trusts (PCTs) to improve care for people with long-term conditions (LTCs) and to ensure more choices for these patients. We expect PCTs to roll out choice to all people in their area with an LTC, with local flexibility on the pace and priorities, and we have supported this by publishing a model of care for long-term conditions, embedded in effective care planning, that provides good practice examples aimed at reducing inequalities; and 
			  PCTs are taking forward commitments to introduce choice of services for maternity. 
			   
			 Care planning We are planning to issue a framework for commissioners in June 2008, which will describe care planning as a process, centred around the person, which supports and promotes personalisation. During 2008, we will bring forward a patients' prospectus that sets out how we will extend to all 15 million patients with a chronic or long-term condition access to a choice of active patient or care at home optionsclinically appropriate to them and supported by the NHS. 
			 Information Prescriptions (IPs) IPs are being introduced for everyone with a LTC which will guide them to relevant and reliable sources of information to allow them to feel more in control and better able to manage their condition. 
			   
			 NHS Choices NHS Choices is the NHS's online service for the publicthe digital wing of the NHS. Launched in 2007, it is a response to the 21(st) century challenges of delivering high-quality personalised services for all. It is regularly updated to provide more information to patients. 
			   
			 Choice and mental health We are committed to giving people with mental health problems choice and a more personalised service, including making more information available about mental illness to help people manage their own care. In the last year, work has been on-going, both locally and nationally, to increase the level of choice offered to people with mental health problems.

Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government intend to take to encourage primary care trusts to be more responsive to their local communities.

Ann Keen: The World Class Commissioning Programme aims to dramatically transform the way health and care services are commissioned in this country. As commissioners, primary care trusts (PCTs) act on behalf of the public and patients. They are responsible for investing funds on behalf of their communities, and building local trust and legitimacy through the process of engagement with their local population. In order to make world class commissioning decisions that reflect the needs, priorities and aspirations of the local population, commissioners will need to engage with the public, and actively seek the views of patients, carers and the wider community. Decisions should be made with a strong mandate from the local population and other partners.
	The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 contained important measures designed to strengthen the patient and public involvement system in England, including the introduction of local involvement networks (LINks) and the updated duty on NHS bodies to involve users of health services.
	The Act established duties on health and social care services-providersincluding PCTsto respond to LINks when they report on the needs and experiences of local people in respect of their health and social care services.
	LINks, together with the new duty on national health service bodies to involve, and to report on consultations, will play a vital role in encouraging and enabling a greater range of people to influence the commissioning and provision of health and social care bringing real accountability to the whole system, from commissioning to front-line care.
	All of these changes are aimed at promoting open and transparent communication between communities and the health service, and will develop trust and confidence, increasing accountability to local people.

Hearing Impaired: Medical Equipment

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for the fitting of digital hearing aids by NHS hospital trusts are; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The data are not currently collected. The Department will start monthly data collections on waits for audiology treatment, including the fitting of hearing aids, in May 2008 to cover treatment carried out in April 2008. We will publish these data as soon as they are of sufficiently robust quality.

Hospitals: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much revenue was generated by charges imposed upon  (a) staff,  (b) patients and  (c) others for the use of car parks at (i) Broomfield and (ii) St John's hospitals in Chelmsford in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Hospital car parking charges are decided locally by individual trusts to help cover the cost of running and maintaining a car park. All trusts should have exemption and concessionary schemes in place to ensure that patients and carers who visit hospital regularly are not disadvantaged. They should also have sustainable public transport plans in place for staff and visitors.
	The East of England Strategic Health Authority advises that the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust provide 15 minutes free parking to allow people to be dropped off and picked up at the hospital. In addition, it provides free parking to anyone holding a local authority blue disabled badge and offers reduced priced tickets to frequent users and a weekly ticket for longer-term users.
	Data on the gross income that national health service trusts receive from car parking charges paid by staff and visitors have been collected since 2000. These data are provided by the NHS on a voluntary basis and have not been amended following their collection, nor have they been actively checked by the Department and therefore cannot be confirmed to be accurate or complete.
	Information in respect of Broomfield and St John's hospitals in Chelmsford is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Total gross income from staff parking  Total gross income from patient and visitor parking 
			  Broomfield Hospital   
			 2002-03 85,386 423,783 
			 2003-04 31,851 295,075 
			 2004-05 51,366 503,418 
			 2005-06 62,383 598,525 
			 2006-07 89,000 689,740 
			
			  St. John ' s Hospital   
			 2002-03 28,462 141,261 
			 2003-04 13,650 126,461 
			 2004-05 12,916 120,645 
			 2005-06 12,569 128,913 
			 2006-07 2,247 162,214

Hospitals: Children

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 most common causes of childhood emergency  (a) admissions to and  (b) attendances at hospital were in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is shown in the following table. Information is not currently available centrally on reason for attendances at accident and emergency departments.
	
		
			  Number of emergency admissions for the 10 most common primary diagnoses of children aged under 18 in each of the last five years, 2006-07 to 2002-03National health service hospitals England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by English NHS 
			   Primary diagnosis  Total episodes 
			   2006-07  
			 J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 40,928 
			 B34 Viral infection of unspecified site 34,550 
			 R10 Abdominal and pelvic pain 34,120 
			 J45 Asthma 26,781 
			 R06 Abnormalities of breathing 23,574 
			 A08 Viral and other specified intestinal infections 22,349 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 21,241 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 20,747 
			 R56 Convulsions not elsewhere classified 18,816 
			 K52 Other noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 18,162 
			
			   2005-06  
			 J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 42,003 
			 R10 Abdominal and pelvic pain 34,941 
			 B34 Viral infection of unspecified site 31,770 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 23,388 
			 J45 Asthma 22,839 
			 A08 Viral and other specified intestinal infections 22,512 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 21,125 
			 R06 Abnormalities of breathing 20,421 
			 R56 Convulsions not elsewhere classified 19,446 
			 K52 Other noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 18,128 
			
			   2004-05  
			 J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 38,989 
			 R10 Abdominal and pelvic pain 33,232 
			 B34 Viral infection of unspecified site 29,288 
			 J45 Asthma 25,817 
			 A08 Viral and other specified intestinal infections 23,155 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 21,440 
			 R06 Abnormalities of breathing 20,602 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 19,992 
			 K52 Other noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 19,237 
			 R56 Convulsions not elsewhere classified 18,609 
			
			   2003-04  
			 J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 41,283 
			 B34 Viral infection of unspecified site 32,353 
			 R10 Abdominal and pelvic pain 30,968 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 22,936 
			 J45 Asthma 22,690 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 20,362 
			 A08 Viral and other specified intestinal infections 19,443 
			 R56 Convulsions not elsewhere classified 19,199 
			 R06 Abnormalities of breathing 17,668 
			 K52 Other noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 16,799 
			
			   2002-03  
			 J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 36,209 
			 B34 Viral infection of unspecified site 31,260 
			 R10 Abdominal and pelvic pain 28,565 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 22,861 
			 A08 Viral and other specified intestinal infections 21,809 
			 J45 Asthma 21,795 
			 K52 Other noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 19,280 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 19,073 
			 R56 Convulsions not elsewhere classified 17,601 
			 R06 Abnormalities of breathing 16,347 
			  Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes (FAEs): An FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Data quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  3. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS, there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 4. Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis): The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES dataset and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 5. Ungrossed Data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: HES, The Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS matrons have powers to withhold payment to cleaning service providers.

Ann Keen: Matrons have the authority to set and monitor standards in cleaning contracts and to remedy problems if they occur. This includes by withholding payment from cleaning services which do not deliver.
	We have issued guidance that sets out the expected processes to be followed when matrons, in conjunction with trust chief executives, are considering imposing penalties on a contractor or an in-house provider. The guidance makes it clear that local resolution is to be preferred, however, withholding payment is an option to be considered amid trusts' contract monitoring and associated escalation procedures.

Hospitals: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued to hospitals on the procurement of food from small, local producers.

Ben Bradshaw: The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) has encouraged the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as national and multi-national suppliers, in tendering for framework agreements for food products to the national health service and this objective has transferred over to the NHS Supply Chain since they took over the role of food procurement in October 2006.
	The tendering opportunities available to SMEs enabled their offers to be limited to deliveries within their preferred geographical locations and within their product range. Additionally, NHS PASA promoted the same procurement initiative for NHS trusts to adopt through their own direct contracts. NHS PASA also provided advice to ensure trusts remained in compliance with the European Union (EU) procurement directives as the specifying of local food could contravene the EU directives.
	Within procuring for health and sustainability, trusts are also encouraged to work against the good corporate citizen toolkit.

Meat Hygiene Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the findings of the recent Food Standards Agency study in relation to the status and structure of the Meat Hygiene Service.

Dawn Primarolo: Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board papers and minutes are published on the FSA's website. They include the Final Report of the Review of the Delivery of Official Controls in Approved Meat Premises, which the FSA Board considered in July 2007 and at which targets were set for the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) and information was requested on possible outsourcing of part of the MHS. The FSA Board decided at its meeting on 7 May 2008 that the option of piloting an alternative to the MHS should not be pursued and that available resources should be focused on MHS modernisation. The May Board papers will be available after 13 June 2008 on the FSA's website at:
	www.food.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmeetings

Mental Health Services

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that forensic medical examiners are qualified to diagnose mental health problems.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) offers some police-based training to forensic physicians and works in conjunction with the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM). The FFLM ensures that individuals employed in this field receive the appropriate support through regular medical updates and a facilitation service provided by experienced, subject matter experts.
	Further, external training is also available in order to assist medical staff to assess the mental health state of persons in custody and to make judgement on whether they are, or are not, fit enough to be detained and/or interviewed (Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983'assessment of persons in custody' sets this process out in detail). The NPIA ensures that student medical examiners are made aware of these procedures, but does not train them to 'Section 12 Approved doctor' status as referred to under the Act. Section 12 training is approved by regional approval panels which oversee the appointment of doctors applying for section 12 approval.

NHS: Infectious Diseases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a list of the products submitted to the Rapid Review Panel for consideration for use in fighting infection in the NHS in the last year for which information is available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the products that have been submitted to the Rapid Review Panel for consideration for use in fighting infection in the national health service in the last year for which information is available (April 2007 to April 2008).
	
		
			  Company name  Product name 
			 DuPont DuPont Relu+On Prion Inactivator 
			 Giltech Ltd. Silvatec Anti-Microbial Cleansing Bar 
			 Remedy Research Ltd. Ultramicrofibre (UMF) cloths/CuWB50 
			 Teknon Biocleanse 
			 Ximax Ltd. TwinOxide 
			 Redwood Valley Ltd. Original Oxygen Cream 
			 Remedy Research Ltd. Hand Gel/CuAL42 
			 Cepheid Europe Xpert MRSA 
			 ConvaTec Flexi-Seal Faecal Management System (FMS) 
			 Remedy Research Ltd. Laundry/CuWB50 
			 Total Integration Ltd. NowcleanZ 
			 Air and Environmental Environmental Air Sanitizer 
			 Bioquell (Resub) Bioquell Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour System 
			 Greenbridge (Resub) Active8 Hard Surface Cleaner 
			 Greenbridge (Resub) Active8 Floor Cleaner 
			 Greenbridge (Resub) Active8 Vapourisation Formulation 
			 Greenbridge (Resub) Active8 Sanitisation Wipes 
			 Metatecta MetaSteric system 
			 Synergy Healthcare plc. Assure 
			 Systemsolv Ltd. Air-Raid 
			 Talley Environmental Care Ltd. TECare Disinfectant Cleaner 
			 Addison Smith Ltd. 70 per cent. Bamboo30 per cent. Cotton Woven Fabric 
			 Cupron (resub) Cupron 
			 Deb (Cutan Resub) Cutan foam hand sanitiser 
			 Perfect Essentials UK Perfect Hand Protectant and Sanitiser 
			 Hollister Ltd. Zassibowl management system 
			 Rochester Medical Release-NF Anti-Infection Foley Catheter 
			 CIAT NEO BIO 
			 Tri-Air Developments Ltd. Tri-Air Developments Purifier 
			 GAMA Clinell Alchoholic 2 per cent. Chlorhexidine 
			 Hyso International Ltd. Hyso Automatic Door Handle Deep Cleaning System 
			 Toray Textiles See it Safe antimicrobial fabrics 
			 Deb (Cutan Resub) Cutan foam hand sanitiser 
			 Perma-Health SpheriKill 
			 Safeway Hygiene Hand Hygiene Unit (HHU) 
			 Ackw Lts T/A SAS Showersafe 
			 3M Healthcare (Biotrace) Clean Trace

NHS: Infectious Diseases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's procedure is for the introduction of new infection control technologies in the NHS following a recommendation from its Rapid Review Panel.

Ann Keen: The Rapid Review Panel (RRP) was set up in 2004 to review new health care associated infection related technologies. The RRP provides a prompt assessment of new and novel equipment, materials, and other products or protocols that may be of value to the national health service in improving infection prevention and control. The RRP has already reviewed over 200 products, providing feedback and opinion in one of seven categories, with recommendation 1 being the highest category where the efficacy of a product has been proved scientifically and in use.
	A wide range of new programmes is being implemented to support the RRP as a consequence of the Healthcare Associated Infection Technology Innovation Programme launched in the Clean, safe care strategy (January 2008). Technologies with a RRP recommendation 1 are being placed in showcase hospitals around the country for periods up to six months for the purpose of evaluating in-use features and providing feedback to the NHS in the form of ready made adoption business cases. Such technologies are also subject to an accelerated placement in the NHS Supply Chain catalogue.
	Uptake will be reviewed through information provided by the NHS Supply Chain where this is appropriate. Plans are also being developed to provide support to technologies that have RRP Panel two and three recommendations.

NHS: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dieticians worked in the NHS in each year since 1997; what the full-time equivalent figure was in each such year; and how many patient contacts with dieticians there were in each such year.

Ann Keen: The number and full-time equivalent figure for dieticians working in the national health service in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table.
	The number of patient contacts with dieticians is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Dieticians 1997-2007 number and full-time equivalent (FTE), England as at 30 September each year 
			   DieteticsNumbers  Dietetics FTE 
			 1997 2,287 1,864 
			 1998 2,383 1,961 
			 1999 2,517 2,058 
			 2000 2,607 2,129 
			 2001 2,772 2,255 
			 2002 2,906 2,377 
			 2003 3,122 2,565 
			 2004 3,235 2,664 
			 2005 3,407 2,792 
			 2006 3,413 2,823 
			 2007 3,513 2,924

NHS: Nutrition

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many weight management counsellors are employed by each strategic health authority.

Ann Keen: Weight management counsellors are not identified in the national health service work force census. However this role may be undertaken by dieticians; the number of dieticians by strategic health authority (SHA) is shown on the following tables.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical (ST and T) staff by SHA areaEngland as at September 2007 
			  Headcount 
			   England  North east  North west  Yorkshire and the Humber  East  M idlands  West  M idlands  East of England  London  South east coast  South central  South west  Special health authorities and others 
			 All qualified dietetics staff 3,513 192 551 427 229 335 336 688 229 225 301 0 
			 Consultant Therapist 7 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 0 
			 Manager 192 9 36 18 9 16 16 41 19 15 13 0 
			 Therapist 3,314 182 515 409 220 318 319 644 209 210 288 0 
			 All dietetics support staff 256 24 60 26 26 15 20 32 15 15 23 0 
			 Assistant practitioner 7 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 
			 Student/trainee 8 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 
			 Helper/assistant 241 23 59 25 26 15 19 29 15 7 23 0 
		
	
	
		
			  NHS HCHS: qualified ST and T staff by SHA areaEngland as at September 2007 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   England  North east  North west  Yorkshire and the Humber  East  M idlands  West  M idlands  East of England  London  South east coast  South central  South west  Special health authorities and others 
			 All qualified dietetics staff 2,924 165 475 367 190 274 275 590 185 167 237 0 
			 Consultant Therapist 7 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 0 
			 Manager 172 9 33 17 9 14 15 36 16 12 11 0 
			 Therapist 2,745 156 442 350 181 260 259 551 168 154 226 0 
			 All dietetics support staff 189 18 44 19 21 11 16 19 12 13 16 0 
			 Assistant practitioner 6 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 
			 Student/trainee 8 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 
			 Helper/assistant 175 17 43 18 21 11 15 17 12 5 16 0 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care 2007 Non-Medical Workforce Census

NHS: Public Participation

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet members of the National Association of LINks members to discuss the review of the NHS.

Ann Keen: Although the Department is not aware of a formal request from the National Association of LINks Members for a ministerial meeting, departmental officials have recently met with the chairman of the organisation to discuss a number of issues including the national health service next stage review.

NHS: Standards

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's target waiting times for the fitting of digital hearing aids by NHS hospital trusts are; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Patients referred to ear nose and throat (ENT) consultant-led care, who subsequently require hearing aid fitting, are covered by the target that no one should wait longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by December 2008, unless it is clinically appropriate or they choose to do so. The Department does not have a target for non consultant-led care for the fitting of hearing aids.

NHS: Working hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1044W, on the NHS: working hours, when  (a) each pilot will conclude and  (b) the report of each pilot will be published.

Ann Keen: Information has been placed in the Library, which outlines when the pilots will be completed. The pilot reports will be published shortly afterwards.
	NHS National Workforce Projects were commissioned by the Department to support national health service trusts with implementation of the European working time directive for doctors in training. They recognise the need to ensure that pilot material is shared across the NHS at the earliest opportunity and share learning throughout the life of the projects.

Polyclinics

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role the independent sector is likely to have in the provision of polyclinics.

Ben Bradshaw: We have asked primary care trusts to undertake open and fair tendering processes to secure new general practitioner (GP)-led health centres and new GP practices in underserved areas. These services will be in addition to existing GP practices. A range of contractors will put forward tenders to be considered by each primary care trust (PCT) and the mix between independent commercial sector, independent voluntary sector, national health service bodies and independent GP contractors will vary locally. Our overriding objective is for PCTs to secure additional access and extra choice to primary medical services delivered by providers that offer the best quality and value for money to ensure patients' access to services are improved and the population's overall health improves.

Primary Care Trusts: Vacancies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of London primary care trusts have a vacancy for the position of Director of Public Health;
	(2)  what proportion of London primary care trusts have a vacancy for the post of Finance Director.

Ben Bradshaw: This requested information is not held centrally. It is for local national health service organisations to ensure they have the staff they need to provide services to their local communities.
	I understand that London strategic health authority (SHA) has established a training programme to develop senior managers, including potential future directors of public health. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this matter directly with the chief executive of London SHA.

Radiography

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many radiographers each primary care trust has per 100,000 people in its area;
	(2)  how many radiographers each primary care trust had per 100,000 people in its area in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of radiographers each strategic health authority (SHA) had per 100,000 people in its area for 2002 to 2006 inclusive.
	The number of radiographers each primary care trust has per 100,000 people is not available. Over 98 per cent. of qualified radiography staff are employed by national health service trusts, but population data are collected by primary care trust (PCT). However, PCT population data cannot be accurately mapped to NHS trust areas, so the nearest available comparable data are by SHA area. Also, 2007 population data are not yet available so for the sake of comparability the table is for the years 2002-06.
	
		
			  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Qualified radiography staff in England by SHA area per 100,000 population as at 30 September each specified year 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			   
			 England 26 27 28 29 29 
			   
			 North East SHA area 29 30 31 32 31 
			 North West SHA area 32 33 34 36 35 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA area 30 31 31 32 31 
			 East Midlands SHA area 23 23 24 25 25 
			 West Midlands SHA area 24 25 27 28 28 
			 East of England SHA area 24 24 23 24 25 
			 London SHA area 26 26 27 29 29 
			 South East coast SHA area 21 22 23 25 25 
			 South Central SHA area 24 24 25 25 25 
			 South West SHA area 28 28 29 30 30 
			  Note: Figures are calculated on the headcount number of radiography staff.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census Mid year Population Estimate (2001 Census Based), Office for National Statistics

Social Services: Finance

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether local authorities may use the age of a person needing care as a basis for determining the level of a direct payment made to an adult in order to purchase care.

Ivan Lewis: Guidance on assessment is set out in LAC(2002)13: 'Fair access to Care Services: Guidance on eligibility for Adult social care'. The guidance is clear that local authorities, when determining the level of a direct payment must base their decision on an assessment of an individual's needs.
	It is up to the council to decide on the amount of a direct payment. The direct payment should be sufficient to enable the recipient lawfully to secure a service of a standard that the council considers is reasonable to fulfil the needs for the service to which the payment relates. There is no limit on the maximum or minimum amount of a direct payment either in the amount of care it is intended to purchase or on the value of the direct payment.
	Copies of the 'Direct Payments Guidance: Community Care, Services for Carers and Children's services (Direct Payments) Guidance England 2003' have been placed in the Library.

Social Services: Finance

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what evidence the evaluation of the individual budget pilot projects has produced on the extent to which local authorities are allocating differing budgets to adults with identical needs solely on the basis of age;
	(2)  how he will ensure that local authorities provide adequate advice and information to support the expansion of individual budgets announced in the Putting People First Concordat; and how decisions on awarding individual budgets will be made.

Ivan Lewis: It is our intention to publish the evaluation of the individual budget pilots in the autumn.
	Based on the experience of the pilots, the Department has published a resource toolkit for local authorities to help them transform their social care systems in the light of the cross-government concordat Putting People First: A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care. Copies of the publication are available in the Library.
	The toolkit, available at:
	http://self-assess.personalisation.org.uk/csips/qstart.php
	contains advice on the allocation of resources for personal budgets and the provision of information and support for those receiving personal budgets. This will be further supported through the Department's regional programme. Local authorities retain responsibility for allocating funding to people eligible for social care.

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish  (a) the responses to the consultation on the future of social care funding,  (b) the Government response to those responses and  (c) a green paper on social care funding.

Ivan Lewis: The six-month engagement process for the reform of care and support will conclude by the end of November 2008. We plan to publish a summary of the responses from the engagement process and the Government response to them in due course. This process will ultimately lead to a Green Paper in early 2009.

Social Services: Learning Disability

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1023-24W, on social services, how many people of working age with a learning disability in each local authority area received state funded social care support in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The number of clients receiving services during a year is collected via table P1 of the Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care (RAP) return. The return was first collected from all councils in 2000-01 by the Department and the latest year for which data are available is 2006-07, now collected by the Information Centre for health and social care.
	The following table shows the estimated number of service users whose primary client type is aged 18-64 with learning disabilities during the period for each council with adult social services responsibilities in England.
	There are some issues to be aware of when comparing the data over time:
	since 2002-03, clients who were formally in receipt of higher rates of income support under the Department for Work Pensions preserved rights (PR) scheme and who transferred to council support on 8 April 2002 have been included in the RAP return. Clients that were in receipt of preserved rights but who were already being partially supported by councils were previously included in the data and are not considered as clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. This mainly effects clients in residential care; and
	guidance relating to clients receiving services was restated for 2004-05 to only include clients who are assessed by social services and have a care plan. In previous years, some councils included clients receiving services from grant-funded organisations without a community care assessment and therefore the 2004-05 data are not comparable to previous years. Additional clarification was also given on the recording of some types of services. These amendments mainly affect clients receiving community-based services.
	
		
			  Number of clients whose primary client type is aged 18-64 with a learning disability receiving services during the period by yearEngland, 1 April to 31 March 
			  Rounded numbers 
			Total number of clients receiving services 
			   Councils with social services responsibilities  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03( 1)  2003-04( 1)  2004-05( 1,2)  2005-06( 1,2)  2006-07( 1,2) 
			   England 101,000 101,000 113,000 116,000 117,000 122,000 125,000 
			  
			   North-east
			   Shire counties
			 116 Durham 1,115 1,260 1,365 1,525 1,560 1,535 1,620 
			 104 Northumberland 965 860 855 1,060 1,080 1,120 1,205 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 117 Darlington 225 270 245 245 245 245 240 
			 111 Hartlepool 245 245 240 260 255 275 280 
			 112 Middlesbrough 580 575 425 370 410 450 455 
			 113 Redcar and Cleveland 360 300 340 330 350 365 355 
			 114 Stockton-on-Tees  350 355 355 350 425 500 
			  
			   Metropolitan districts
			 106 Gateshead 400 420 420 460 465 450 480 
			 107 Newcastle upon Tyne 520 505 835 975 600 920 780 
			 108 North Tyneside  515 470 690 455 490 560 
			 109 South Tyneside  275   350 520 490 
			 110 Sunderland 535 605 585 635 640 635 740 
			  
			   North-west
			   Shire counties
			 320 Cheshire 1,350 1,175 1,475 1,720 1,610 1,635 1,635 
			 102 Cumbria 610 875 655 1,000 880 925 1,080 
			 323 Lancashire 2,075 2,050 2,265 2,500 2,720 2,875 3,025 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 324 Blackburn 445 395 265 260 245 300 330 
			 325 Blackpool 275 280 420 400 385 380 410 
			 321 Halton 265 270 320 355 355 370 370 
			 322 Warrington 375 400 530 380 390 425 420 
			  
			   Metropolitan districts
			 304 Bolton 465 500 570 490 565 570 575 
			 305 Bury 245 310 350 355 500 405 340 
			 315 Knowsley 390 495 500 485 515 515 550 
			 316 Liverpool 755 820 865 885 1,535 1,155 1,225 
			 306 Manchester   1,165 1,260 1,275 1,300 1,380 
			 307 Oldham 450 655 670 690 695 635 600 
			 308 Rochdale  515 605 460 450 460 510 
			 309 Salford  680 645 615 660 685 660 
			 317 Sefton 585 540 585 560 590 565 650 
			 318 St. Helens 260 190 370 335 355 375 350 
			 310 Stockport 610 565 810 1,200 935 970 1,125 
			 311 Tameside 450 1,160 885 650 690 660 655 
			 312 Trafford 10 295 630 315 380 410 405 
			 313 Wigan  780 705 705 760 765 855 
			 319 Wirral 740 735 780 745 765 765 770 
			  
			   Yorkshire and the Humber
			   Shire counties
			 218 North Yorkshire 1,330 1,645 1,450 1,195 1,315 1,275 1,305 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 214 East Riding 415 575 730 730 720 745 740 
			 215 Kingston-upon-Hull 595 545 535 535 535 520 530 
			 216 N E Lincolnshire 235 420 365 370 345 365 385 
			 217 N Lincolnshire 630 275 320 405 405 405 385 
			 219 York 355 325 415 415 390 435 425 
			  
			   Metropolitan districts
			 204 Barnsley 410 480 525 520 430 460 530 
			 209 Bradford  870 1,045 1,025 1,185 1,375 1,385 
			 210 Calderdale 395 425 545 415 470 490 530 
			 205 Doncaster 440 495 505 480 540 595 655 
			 211 Kirklees 1,085 1,330 1,030 950 960 1,020 955 
			 212 Leeds 1,360 1,720 1,680 1,590 1,505 1,590 1,545 
			 206 Rotherham 535 530 555 590 670 630 655 
			 207 Sheffield 1,095 1,205 1,140 785 890 1,135 1,215 
			 213 Wakefield 545 770 625 965 755 695 740 
			  
			   East Midlands
			   Shire counties
			 506 Derbyshire 1,765 1,570 1,630 1,960 1,855 1,925 1,915 
			 508 Leicestershire 1,075 1,225 1,045 1,080 1,090 1,165 1,255 
			 503 Lincolnshire 1,400 1,465 1,590 1,795 1,205 1,485 1,560 
			 504 Northamptonshire 1,010 1,030 1,295 1,455 1,555 1,700 1,525 
			 511 Nottinghamshire 1,810 1,710 1,675 1,855 2,045 2,145 2,125 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 507 Derby 450 440 530 550 555 560 610 
			 509 Leicester 385 575 675 785 860 850 870 
			 512 Nottingham   1,090 700 600 780 800 
			 510 Rutland 70 70 75 50 60 55 65 
			  
			   West Midlands
			   Shire counties
			 417 Shropshire 725 610 735 805 840 805 780 
			 413 Staffordshire 1,050 1,105 1,440 1,435 1,580 1,555 1,710 
			 404 Warwickshire 820 855 935 990 1,090 935 1,005 
			 416 Worcestershire  1,020 1,305 1,285 1,780 1,415 1,760 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 415 Herefordshire 395 440 440 450 470 455 475 
			 414 Stoke-on-Trent 325 360 700 785 695 710 660 
			 418 Telford and Wrekin 500 360 390 425 400 425 450 
			  
			   Metropolitan districts
			 406 Birmingham 1,365 1,415 2,035 2,340 2,645 3,095 2,470 
			 407 Coventry   470 770 820 830 835 
			 408 Dudley 550 770 740 680 735 780 795 
			 409 Sandwell   620 545 585 555 610 
			 410 Solihull 370 390 405 405 455 460 460 
			 411 Walsall 185 485 555 635 600 635 675 
			 412 Wolverhampton 500 500 525 505 490 510 510 
			  
			   South-west
			   Shire counties
			 902 Cornwall 1,185 1,420 1,545 1,805 1,705 1,405 1,320 
			 912 Devon 1,620 1,590 1,730 1,625 1,790 1,775 1,785 
			 809 Dorset 660 775 755 815 765 785 700 
			 904 Gloucestershire 1,090 1,045 1,170 1,310 1,240 1,320 1,455 
			 906 Isles of Scilly 0 (3) 0 0 (3) 0 (3) 
			 905 Somerset 1,495 1,505 1,625 1,380 1,440 1,435 1,455 
			 817 Wiltshire 2,720 930 1,190 1,500 1,205 1,125 1,120 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 908 Bath and N E Somerset  470 445 440 415 430 475 
			 810 Bournemouth 445 365 335 435 440 410 440 
			 909 Bristol 980 1,170 1,330 1,005 930 810 1,065 
			 910 North Somerset 260 420 495 570 495 440 415 
			 913 Plymouth  685 625 555 600 680 715 
			 811 Poole 270 270 310 345 415 380 385 
			 911 South Gloucestershire 420 485 545 585 655 730 705 
			 819 Swindon 450 530 480 460 445 485 505 
			 914 Torbay 290 280 325 350 345 370 365 
			  
			   Eastern
			   Shire counties
			 610 Bedfordshire 175 200 220 810 990 805 915 
			 623 Cambridgeshire 965 960 980 965 1,030 1,070 1,135 
			 620 Essex 2,605 2,905 3,120 3,165  3,270 3,360 
			 606 Hertfordshire 2,435 2,620 2,705 2,770 2,490 2,475 2,450 
			 607 Norfolk 1,685 1,905 1,790 2,015 1,265 2,130 2,175 
			 609 Suffolk 195 235 1,175 1,255 1,420 1,475 1,405 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 611 Luton 215 265 275 315 365 385 370 
			 624 Peterborough 335 365 495 500 435 410 400 
			 621 Southend 350 370 440 500 460 440 500 
			 622 Thurrock 235 300 280 290 270 285 275 
			  
			   London
			   Inner London
			 702 Camden 455 460 450 425 380 380 385 
			 703 Greenwich 545 500 455 545 600 550 560 
			 704 Hackney 415  425 415 505 515 530 
			 705 Hammersmith and Fulham 255 245 255 295 280 290 300 
			 706 Islington 310 405 410 435 445 435 440 
			 707 Kensington and Chelsea 240 260 245 255 250 255 255 
			 708 Lambeth 590 530 605 625 610 820 645 
			 709 Lewisham 510 530 835 840 790 805 520 
			 710 Southwark 485 515 610 715 600 745 730 
			 711 Tower Hamlets 245 340 315 375 355 405 505 
			 712 Wandsworth 640 575 805 820 690 730 1,050 
			 713 Westminster 370 365 355 375 430 460 475 
			 714 City of London 10 15 10 10 10 10 10 
			  
			   Outer London
			 716 Barking and Dagenham 215 260 285 290 355 365 275 
			 717 Barnet 1,015 985 540 535 590 700 715 
			 718 Bexley 685 575 700 695 465 435 455 
			 719 Brent 600 875 560 640 485 520 725 
			 720 Bromley 595 730 750 650 710 815 915 
			 721 Croydon 815 550 1,010 1,060 1,055 1,075 1,080 
			 722 Ealing 680 650 370 440 450 590 700 
			 723 Enfield 495 480 500 535 580 595 610 
			 724 Haringey 575 495 490 475 460 505 585 
			 725 Harrow 290 380 415 455 455 450 470 
			 726 Havering 350 335 380 430 435 460 460 
			 727 Hillingdon 540 500 470 515 545 510 515 
			 728 Hounslow 365 405 440 515 545 490 485 
			 729 Kingston-upon-Thames 375 340 180 300 315 340 330 
			 730 Merton 380 375 340 355 410 410 430 
			 731 Newham 375 460 500 510 500 580 585 
			 732 Redbridge 490 465 495 505 600 590 635 
			 733 Richmond upon Thames 335 310 320 355 335 345 360 
			 734 Sutton 290 320 410 420 425 385 460 
			 735 Waltham Forest 565 455 350 370 425 460 490 
			  
			   South-east
			   Shire counties
			 612 Buckinghamshire 705 740 840 1,025 885 915 975 
			 815 East Sussex 1,225 855 1,070 1,040 1,050 1,150 1,195 
			 812 Hampshire 1,990 2,600 3,035 2,815 3,310 3,185 2,795 
			 820 Kent 2,970 3,210 3,630 3,355 3,805 3,755 4,085 
			 608 Oxfordshire1,110 1,155 1,205 1,380 
			 805 Surrey   4,155   3,070 2,635 
			 807 West Sussex 260 215 310 1,815 1,160 1,265 1,370 
			  
			   Unitary authorities
			 614 Bracknell Forest 190 210 170 220 180 275 320 
			 816 Brighton and Hove 510 605 575 605 635 625 635 
			 803 Isle of Wight 410 350 390 450 545 365 515 
			 821 Medway Towns 460 480 345 475 360 650 570 
			 613 Milton Keynes 30 280 290 355 320 350 390 
			 813 Portsmouth 375 405 450 450 480 430 450 
			 616 Reading 285 350 360 435 365 380 340 
			 617 Slough 255 300 275 280 300 330 315 
			 814 Southampton 485 455 460 535 500 500 535 
			 615 West Berkshire 300 305 290 300 340 365 360 
			 618 Windsor and Maidenhead 210 260 315 350 350 425 315 
			 619 Wokingham 395 320 380 360 385 410 415 
			 '' = Missing data (1) Data include clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (2) Guidance was re-stated in 2004-05 figures previous from years are not comparable. (3) Five or less (or less than 50 for national and regional totals).  Notes: 1. The England totals are estimates. 2. Figures may not add up because of rounding. 3. Regional and national totals may not be equal to the sum of the council level figures due to the use of estimates when the council did not fully complete the return.  Source: RAP proforma P1

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Death: Prostate Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the age-standardised mortality rates for prostate cancer in  (a) spearhead primary care trusts and  (b) England were in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the age standardised mortality rates for prostate cancer in (a) spearhead primary care trusts and (b) England were in the latest period for which figures are available. (206400)
	The spearhead group is defined in terms of local authorities. Spearhead primary care organisations (PCOs) are those which overlap geographically with any of the area defined by the spearhead local authorities. For most, the whole of the PCO area overlaps with the spearhead local authorities, but some only partially overlap.
	The attached table presents age standardised rates and counts of prostate cancer deaths for males in England, and the spearhead group. Figures are also presented for each PCO overlapping with the spearhead group. All figures are for 2006 (the year latest available). An estimate of the per cent of the PCO population that is in the spearhead group (as at 2002) is also shown.
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population( 1, 2)  and counts of death where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death( 3) , England, spearhead group and primary care organisation, 2006( 4, 5) 
			  Area  Rate  95% confidence interval  Number of deaths  Percentage of PCO population within the spearhead group( 6) 
			  England 25 (24-25) 8,506  
			  
			  Spearhead Group 24 (23-25) 1,997  
			  
			  Spearhead PCOs 
			 Barking and Dagenham 20 (11-30) 18 100 
			 Greenwich Teaching 21 (13-30) 24 100 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 15 (6-23) 11 100 
			 Haringey Teaching 14 (6-22) 12 100 
			 Islington 26 (14-38) 18 100 
			 Lambeth 38 (26-50) 39 100 
			 Lewisham 23 (14-33) 24 100 
			 Newham 24 (14-35) 22 100 
			 Southwark 9 (3-15) 10 100 
			 Tower Hamlets 19 (9-29) 14 100 
			 Bolton 22 (14-29) 34 100 
			 Bury 35 (24-47) 36 100 
			 Manchester 17 (11-22) 37 100 
			 Oldham 26 (17-34) 33 100 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 27 (18-37) 34 100 
			 Salford 16 (9-23) 22 100 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 20 (13-27) 35 100 
			 Knowsley 29 (17-41) 23 100 
			 Liverpool 31 (24-38) 76 100 
			 Halton and St. Helens 21 (14-28) 36 100 
			 Wirral 21 (15-27) 49 100 
			 Barnsley 23 (15-31) 35 100 
			 Doncaster 26 (19-33) 53 100 
			 Rotherham 27 (19-35) 42 100 
			 Gateshead 25 (16-33) 34 100 
			 Newcastle 23 (16-30) 38 100 
			 North Tyneside 28 (19-36) 41 100 
			 South Tyneside 27 (17-36) 29 100 
			 Sunderland Teaching 27 (19-35) 47 100 
			 South Birmingham 22 (15-28) 45 100 
			 Coventry Teaching 23 (16-29) 43 100 
			 Sandwell 28 (20-35) 49 100 
			 Walsall Teaching 27 (19-35) 46 100 
			 Wolverhampton City 37 (28-46) 62 100 
			 Bradford and Airedale 20 (14-25) 54 100 
			 Wakefield District 29 (21-36) 57 100 
			 Hartlepool 37 (21-53) 20 100 
			 Middlesbrough 28 (16-39) 23 100 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 28 (18-39) 27 100 
			 North Tees 23 (14-31) 26 100 
			 Warrington 25 (16-34) 30 100 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 20 (10-30) 15 100 
			 Blackpool 17 (10-25) 20 100 
			 Hull 31 (22-40) 46 100 
			 Leicester City 14 (8-19) 21 100 
			 Nottingham City 23 (15-30) 35 100 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 22 (14-31) 26 100 
			 Birmingham East and North 24 (18-30) 62 100 
			 North East Lincolnshire 24 (15-33) 27 100 
			 Stoke on Trent 25 (18-33) 41 97 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 22 (12-32) 18 96 
			 Tameside and Glossop 28 (19-36) 42 87 
			 East Lancashire 23 (17-29) 55 86 
			 County Durham 31 (25-37) 102 77 
			 Northumberland 25 (19-31) 58 46 
			 Cumbria 22 (18-27) 86 35 
			 Central Lancashire 20 (15-26) 57 29 
			 Warwickshire 28 (22-33) 102 23 
			 Lincolnshire 27 (23-31) 161 13 
			 South Staffordshire 26 (21-31) 103 13 
			 Derbyshire County 21 (17-25) 110 10 
			 Northamptonshire 22 (17-26) 90 8 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3) Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codeC61. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (6) Percentages based on PCO populations as at 2002.

Employment: Stafford

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many new jobs in each employment sector were created in Stafford constituency in the last year for which data are available.

Phil Hope: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of new jobs in each employment sector created in Stafford constituency for the last year for which data are available (206387).
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes, in numbers of jobs, from year to year.
	The table attached provides estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) of net change in the number of employee jobs in Stafford by sector between 2005 and 2006, the latest year for which data are available.
	As with any survey, results from the ABI at a small geographical area are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Food: Prices

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what estimate the National Statistician has made of month by month increases in  (a) food prices and  (b) energy prices in each month since January 2007 compared with (i) the previous month and (ii) the same month a year earlier.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking what estimate I have made of month by month increases in  (a) food prices and  (b) energy prices in each month since January 2007 compared with (i) the previous month and (ii) the same month a year earlier. (206687)
	Food and energy are included in both the consumer prices index (CPI) and the retail prices index (RPI). Month on month and 12 month changes for both food and energy in both indices can be found by accessing the 'Consumer Price Indices' option in the following link.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/TSDTimezone.asp
	Following the link provided will take you to a secondary menu. Both the monthly and annual changes in the CPI/RPI can be selected from this menu. The required information can then be found by selecting the group titles given about the clicking on 'View Series'.

Personal Income

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the National Statistician has made of month by month increases in  (a) wages,  (b) consumer prices index and  (c) retail price index for each month since January 2007 onwards compared with (i) the previous month and (ii) the same month a year earlier.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking what estimate has been made of month by month increases in a) wages, b) the consumer prices index (CPI) and c) the retail prices index (RPI) for each month since January 2007 onwards compared with i) the previous month and ii) the same month a year earlier. (206686)
	The required information on wages can be found by using our Average Earnings Index. Tables 15 and 16 of the following link give comparisons with the same month a year earlier, while comparisons with the previous month are provided in the attached table
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0508.pdf
	The required information on the CPI and RPI can be found in tables 3.2 and 3.3 (CPI) and 4.2 and 4.3 (RPI) of the following link.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/Focus_on_CPI_April_2008.pdf
	
		
			   Percentage 
			  2007  
			 January 0.3 
			 February 1.1 
			 March -0.8 
			 April 0.1 
			 May 0.5 
			 June 0.5 
			 July 0.3 
			 August 0.5 
			 September 0.5 
			 October 0 
			 November 0.4 
			 December 0.4 
			  2008  
			 January 0.5 
			 February 0.9 
			 March 0.1

Population

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the population of each  (a) strategic health authority and  (b) primary care trust area is.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the population or each  (a) strategic health authority and  (b) primary care trust area. (206900)
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006. The requested estimates are available from the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D9744.xls

Prostate Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the survival rate from prostate cancer in  (a) spearhead primary care trusts and  (b) England was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the survival rate from prostate cancer in (a) spearhead primary care trusts and (b) England was in the latest period for which figures are available.
	The latest available relative survival rates in a) spearhead primary care trusts are for patients diagnosed in 1996-2001 and followed up to the end of 2003. The one-year survival rate was 88% and the five-year survival rate was 66%. These rates are available on the National Statistics website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=14821Pos=ColRank=1Rank=272
	The latest available relative survival rates in b) England are for patients diagnosed in 1999-2003 and followed up to the end of 2004. The one-year survival rate was 91% and the five-year survival rate was 74%. These rates are available on the National Statistics website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=14821Pos=ColRank=1Rank=272

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq: Children

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of children's healthcare services in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, DFID has continually monitored the state of Iraq's healthcare services including those for children. The Iraqi healthcare system already faced enormous challenges before the 2003 conflict. We recognise the serious need for improvements in child healthcare provision, including immunisation, potable water, food and nutrition and access for women and children to primary health care.
	The Iraqi Government, supported by the international community, is seeking to address these issues. For example, a five-year health plan has been drafted with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a maternal child strategy and family health plans to move to a primary health care model with an emphasis on prevention and away from the present hospital based care system. The UN, led by UNICEF, is supporting the Iraqi Government's efforts to improve nutrition rates in Iraq through a variety of programmes including infant feeding campaigns, immunisation and the provision of medical supplies.
	Since 2003 the UK has contributed a total of 70 million to the UN and World Bank Trust funds, which together are spending a total of $180 million in the health care sector. We have also contributed 5 million to the WHO. We also support humanitarian agencies including the International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme who also provide emergency relief to the 2.7 million internally displaced persons living in Iraq, including to children and other vulnerable groups (orphans, elderly, single headed female households). This year we have committed 17 million of funding for humanitarian assistance programmes, including 3 million to UNICEF's emergency programme to provide assistance to Iraqi children.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma: Storms

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of China on its role in seeking a relaxation of the restrictions imposed by the Burmese government on the flow of international aid to those affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Meg Munn: We have been in close contact with many of the governments of the region in our efforts to persuade the Burmese authorities to allow unhindered access to all affected areas. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Yang recently and spoke to him on 13 May. Minister Yang agreed to convey our concerns to the Burmese.

Burma: Storms

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to members of the Association of South East Asian Nations on their role in seeking a relaxation of the restrictions imposed by the Burmese government on the flow of international aid to those affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Meg Munn: The Burmese government's obstruction of the international aid effort is utterly unacceptable. A natural disaster is in real danger of becoming a man-made catastrophe. We have been in close contact with many of the governments of the region in our efforts to persuade the Burmese authorities to allow unhindered access for international aid to all affected areas.
	Recently, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to his counterparts in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. He met the Foreign Minister of Malaysia in London on 12 May. Recently, my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown has visited Thailand, Singapore and Burma where he pressed senior members of the regime to allow more aid into stricken areas in full co-operation with the international donor community. I called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors to the Foreign Office on 14 May to express our concerns. I have also spoken to senior politicians in Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, in addition to high level lobbying by our Missions around the region.
	On 19 May, with Burmese agreement, ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to create a regional mechanism to facilitate the effective delivery of aid from the donor community to Burma. Our current effort is to secure a means to deliver aid on the back of a logistics chain we are asking ASEAN countries to establish.

Capital Punishment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the use of the death penalty with the governments of  (a) China,  (b) Iran,  (c) Saudi Arabia,  (d) Pakistan and  (e) the USA.

Meg Munn: The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle and we are committed to working with all EU partners towards universal abolition.
	In China, we welcome the Supreme People's Court's central review of death penalty cases since 1 January 2007 which has reportedly led to a reduction in executions, but continue to urge the Chinese government to make public statistics and to reduce the scope of the death penalty. We did this most recently at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue at the end of January. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also raised the death penalty with Chinese Premier Wen during his visit to China in January.
	We are deeply concerned by the increasing use of the death penalty in Iran and its continued use for juvenile offenders and we regularly raise this with the Iranian authorities in bilateral meetings and through the EU. Most recently, in a meeting with the Iranian ambassador on 1 April, my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East, called on Iran to limit its use of the death penalty and raised concerns about articles of Iran's draft penal code which would make apostasy punishable by death. We have supported several EU statements and demarches this year about the general use of the death penalty in Iran and individual death penalty cases.
	My hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East raised the issue of the death penalty during his visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2008.
	The UK delegation to the UN Human Rights Council raised the issue of the death penalty with Pakistan as part of the Universal Periodic Review that Pakistan underwent on 8 May. The UK delegation urged the Government of Pakistan to review the use of the death penalty, with a view to a moratorium and abolition, in order to implement the UN General Assembly resolution adopted in December 2007 calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The UK, with our EU partners, will continue to lobby the Government of Pakistan against the use of capital punishment.
	Our officials in the US continue to monitor the use of the death penalty in the US and make representations bilaterally or with EU partners on specific cases where the circumstances warrant them. The EU last took action in the case of Lynd  v. Georgia on 2 May 2008, sending a letter to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles appealing for clemency.

China: Capital Punishment

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Chinese government on the publication of statistics on its use of the death penalty.

Meg Munn: In March a Chinese court official reported that, since recovering the right of review over all death sentences, the Supreme People's Court had rejected 15 per cent. of original verdicts from lower-level courts. However, unless China is more transparent about the application of the death penalty, we cannot verify its claims that the number of executions has fallen. We continue to urge China to reduce the scope of death penalty crimes and to allow transparency of statistics. We did so most recently at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue at the end of January.

China: Tibet

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government in advance of the Beijing Olympic Games on the attitude that government will take in dealing with peaceful protests by pro-Tibetan demonstrators.

Kim Howells: We regularly urge the Chinese Government to protect the right of all individuals to peaceful expression of their views on all issues. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang on several occasions since the recent unrest in Tibet urging respect for human rights in Tibet, including the right to freedom of expression.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will publish a list, providing information relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in the Department during the course of the previous financial year, before the summer recess.

Departmental Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire of 14 February 2006,  Official Report, columns 1905-06W, on official residences, what the cost of  (a) maintenance,  (b) renovation,  (c) council tax,  (d) rent and  (e) utilities for the Ministerial residence accommodation at 1 Carlton Gardens was in each year since 2004-05.

Meg Munn: Expenditure on council tax, maintenance and renovation for the residence at 1 Carlton Gardens is detailed as follows. Approximately 35 per cent. of the area of 1 Carlton Gardens is occupied by the residence. Expenditure on rent and utilities is not clearly identifiable and is represented as a percentage share of the total expenditure on 1 Carlton Gardens.
	
		
			   
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Maintenance 520 124,799 23,782 
			 Renovation 0 0 0 
			 Council tax 1,112 1,186 1,227 
			 Rent 54,772 54,772 54,772 
			 Utilities (1)0 6,306 4,928 
			 (1) Not applicable as the residence was unoccupied

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultants have been contracted by his Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure his Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) contracts, and the resultant expenditure specifically for public participation activities, are not categorised separately from that for external consultancy as a whole. The information the hon. Member requests could, therefore, be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, annual expenditure on external consultants or consultancies as a whole is published in the FCO's annual departmental reports, copies of which are available on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/departmental-report/.

EC Presidency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his  (a) French,  (b) Italian and  (c) German counterparts on the candidates for the preferred post of President of the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular contact with all of our EU partners on a variety of issues. There is no position of President of the EU, nor will any such position be created by the treaty of Lisbon.

Eritrea: Djibouti

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent Eritrean incursion into Djibouti.

Meg Munn: We are aware of the incursion by Eritrean forces into Djiboutian territory in April.
	We call on both countries to enter into a bilateral dialogue to resolve peacefully any outstanding issues relating to this incursion and to avoid increasing tension in the region.

European Union: Public Relations

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1220W, on the European Union: public relations, whether the EU funds to which he referred are being disbursed to those both for and against European integration; how much has been disbursed  (a) in the UK and  (b) in other EU member states; and to whom the funds have been disbursed.

Jim Murphy: As set out in my answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1220W, the purpose of Communicating Europe in Partnership is to improve the coherence, integration and effectiveness of the EU's communications efforts. The Government support the disbursal of EU funds towards this stated objective.
	The Commission does not decide in advance how much money is available per member state or which beneficiaries will undertake the projects. Funding will be distributed following calls for proposals. A breakdown for all those activities will be available at the end of 2008 from the Commission.

Forced Labour: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken to encourage overseas governments not to force children to become soldiers.

Kim Howells: The UK actively supports international efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict. As a member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict we have contributed to action against parties that were violating child rights in states such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Through the EU we have assisted in establishing EU guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict. Domestically, the UK has ratified the Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and has endorsed the Paris Commitments and the Paris Principles to protect children from the unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups.
	The UK also supports and facilitates the work of international courts and tribunals which try alleged perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community including those against children.

India: Children

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Indian government on the use of child labour in textile and clothing manufacturing factories; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government regularly raise our concerns over human rights issues with the Government of India and the Indian Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. These issues were discussed during the latest round of the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue in New Delhi on 15 February. Discussions covered India's implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and optional protocols and ratification of International Labour Organisation Conventions 138 and 182 to abolish child labour.
	Child rights remain a high priority in promoting equality and tackling discrimination in India. The Department for International Development has provided substantial support to assist schemes to ensure all children have the right to attend school. The UK will continue to work with the Government of India in supporting efforts to tackle human rights issues.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's assessment is of the Working Paper dated 25 April 2008 (NPT/conf.2010/PC.11/WP.4) submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on non-compliance with NPT Articles I, III, IV and VI, with particular reference to the statement that approval of the Trident replacement programme constitutes a contravention of NPT Article VI; and what response the Government has made to the paper.

Kim Howells: The UK scrupulously complies with its obligations under the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT), including those on disarmament in article VI. We are committed to strengthening the three pillars of the treaty. The decision to maintain our nuclear deterrent did not contravene the treaty. The UK made this clear at the 2008 NPT Preparatory Committee in its response to the Iranian paper.

Lebanon: Overseas Residence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to safeguard British nationals resident in Lebanon.

Kim Howells: The safety of British nationals overseas is a high priority. The provision of consular support is one of our core services. Our embassy in Beirut maintains a civil contingency plan which focuses on the safety of British nationals in Lebanon. The plans are reviewed and updated regularly. At present, we do not anticipate having to set in motion an assisted evacuation. As a matter of course, we continue to monitor the situation and adjust our plans accordingly. One of our Rapid Deployment teams in London remains on standby to travel to Lebanon should the situation deteriorate. The travel advice pages on our website,
	www.fco.gov.uk
	have been regularly updated to reflect events. They offer guidance to British nationals in Lebanon whom, additionally, we are urging to register on-line with the embassy via LOCATE, a consular registration service.

Serbia: Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the government of Serbia in relation to the Government's recognition of the independence of Kosovo.

Jim Murphy: The Serbian government has made clear, both orally and in writing, their disagreement with the UK on recognition of Kosovo's independence.
	Their representations have included an official demarche delivered by the Serbian charge d'Affaires on 19 February and several letters of protest.

Shares: Sales Methods

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to improve co-operation at bilateral level to tackle boiler room fraud operations targeting British people but based in other EU member states.

Meg Munn: The hon. Member is aware of the damage that can be done through boiler room fraud. The Government take the issue of investment scams, including that of boiler room fraud, very seriously. The Home Office, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), City of London Police and Consumer Direct all work hard to raise awareness of the problem and give advice on recognising and reporting boiler room fraud accordingly, as is evident from their websites.
	To date, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct discussions on boiler room fraud with the countries mentioned. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office network abroad are engaged on all areas of serious and organised crime.
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Serious Fraud Office and the FSA will continue to work successfully together through the newly created multi agency taskforce, Operation Archway, co-ordinated by the City of London Police to pool expertise and share national intelligence to fight against this crime.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in the week beginning 25 May to monitor the  (a) treatment and  (b) risk of torture of Mr. Simon Mann in Black Beach Prison, Equatorial Guinea; and whether he has received reports that Mr. Mann is still being continuously shackled.

Meg Munn: holding answer 20 May 2008
	 Our consul from the British deputy high commission in Lagos was refused consular access to Simon Mann during his last visit to Equatorial Guinea in March. We have expressed our concern to the Equatorial Guinea authorities and are urgently seeking another consular visit. We have not been informed whether Mr. Mann is still being continuously shackled. His welfare remains our primary concern.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of contacts with Mr. Simon Mann in Black Beach Prison, Equatorial Guinea by any  (a) diplomatic officials,  (b) media staff and  (c) other personnel independent of the Equatorial Guinea authorities since Mr. Mann's appearance on Channel 4 News; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: holding answer 20 May 2008
	 We received reports from the Equatorial Guinea authorities that a media team was allowed access to Mr. Mann on one occasion in March. We have no information that any diplomatic officials or personnel independent of the Equatorial Guinea authorities have visited Mr. Mann.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of recent actions by rebel groups in Khartoum on the viability of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement remains fully viable, and the parties are committed to its implementation. On 10 May Salva Kiir, the First Vice President of the Government of National Unity, President of South Sudan and the head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, condemned the rebel actions in Khartoum.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Sudan in response to reports of arrests and detentions of Darfurians in Khartoum and Sudan's commitments under international law and the Interim National Constitution of Sudan.

Meg Munn: We have stressed to the government of Sudan that they should exercise restraint in their response to this attack; and that anyone arrested in connection with the attack should be given due legal process. We will raise any reported violations with the government through the EU-Sudan Dialogue on Human Rights.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest and detention of Darfurians in Khartoum following the Justice and Equality Movement attack on the capital on 10th May.

Meg Munn: Following the Justice and Equality Movement attack on Omdurman, the Sudanese authorities have detained a number of Darfuris and non-Darfuris as part of the follow-up investigations. We understand that at least 170 people were arrested and 130 remain in detention. We are in close touch with the human rights division of the UN Mission in Sudan, which is monitoring these reports.

Vietnam: BBC External Services

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the contribution made by the BBC World Service Vietnamese service in promoting democracy and human rights in Vietnam.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 13 May 2008
	 The BBC Vietnamese Service was assessed as part of a periodical regional review of South East Asia in October 2006. The service scored highly for its valued, impartial, uncensored coverage of Vietnamese domestic issues. The content on the BBC's Vietnamese Service, both on radio and online, has included features on democracy and human rights.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2361W, on Western Sahara: human rights, whether the Minister of State has raised the human rights situation in Western Sahara in discussions with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Fassi Fihri.

Kim Howells: Foreign Minister Fassi Fihri and I discussed a range of issues relating to Morocco and Western Sahara in the UK-Morocco Ministerial Dialogue meeting of July 2007. On 22 April 2008,1 co-chaired the third round of the Dialogue with Deputy Foreign Minister Latifa Akherbach in Rabat, where we again discussed recent developments relating to Western Sahara. I reiterated the UK's support for the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, and stressed the need for both parties to work towards a negotiated settlement providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. I also encouraged greater transparency in the field of human rights in Western Sahara in order to foster greater confidence between the parties.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2325W, on Western Sahara: human rights, whether the ambassador has discussed the human rights situation in occupied Western Sahara with Moroccan government officials; and when members of the ambassador's staff last visited the occupied Western Sahara.

Kim Howells: The UK is concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara. Our ambassador in Rabat discusses a range of issues relating to Western Sahara with Moroccan officials. The most recent high level discussions took place at the UK-Morocco Ministerial Dialogue Forum in Rabat on 22 April, where I discussed a range of issues, including human rights, with the Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister, Latifa Akherbach.
	Diplomatic staff at our embassy in Rabat visited Western Sahara in May 2006. I anticipate further such visits in the near future.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to co-ordinate a mission of international observers to be sent to Zimbabwe; and when a mission is expected to be in place.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2008
	We are urging the Government of Zimbabwe to invite the widest range of international observers, including from the Southern African Development Community countries and the African Union, for any second round of the elections. Once they are deployed, we will press for all observer teams and missions to fully co-ordinate their efforts including with local observers on the ground.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that Zimbabwe accepts the presence of international election observers in advance of any run-off to decide the result of the Presidential election.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2008
	We are urging the Southern African Development Community and African Union leaders and others in the wider international community to join us in pressing the Government of Zimbabwe to allow the deployment of sufficient international observers well in advance of any second round of the presidential election. This is a necessary precondition for a free and fair second round election.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of President Mbeki's work on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to assist in resolving the situation after the presidential elections in Zimbabwe; and what discussions the Government has had with SADC members on this subject.

Meg Munn: We welcome the continued engagement of President Mbeki and other African leaders, both from within and outside the region, in efforts to resolve the electoral crisis in Zimbabwe. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, and our high commissions are in close and regular contact on this subject with the Southern African Development Community Heads of State and Foreign Ministers.